Calcified Mitral Valve
Requiring Replacement Due
To Mitral Valve Stenosis

About Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery Resulting From Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Prolapse, Stenosis And Other Heart Valve Disease

Mitral valve replacement is a complex surgical procedure designed to remove a diseased mitral valve from the heart. Using open-heart, minimally invasive, robotic or transcatheter procedures, a cardiothoracic surgeon removes the damaged, bicuspid heart valve and replaces it with a mechanical or bioprosthetic heart valve.

Mitral valve replacement options include a durable artificial valve, a pig valve tissue replacement or a cow valve tissue replacement.

Heart valves perform the important function of ensuring blood flow in the correct direction throughout the body.

The mitral valve directs the flow of blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle, and the aortic valve allows blood to pass from the left ventricle into the aorta.

Mitral valve replacement typically results from two conditions known as stenosis and regurgitation. Mitral valve stenosis diagnosis suggests that the patient's valve fails to open properly due to stiff or rigid valve leaflets. Mitral stenosis can be caused from infection, calcification of the heart valve leaflets or tissue degeneration due to age.

Because a stenotic mitral valve may cause blood to back up into the lungs, careful monitoring of mitral valve stenosis symptoms should be monitored. Severely stenotic mitral valves may require mitral valve replacement surgery.

Mitral valve replacement may also be required for patients suffering from mitral valve regurgitation also known as mitral insufficiency. When the mitral valve fails to close properly (primarily due to mitral valve prolapse), the need for mitral valve replacement is usually determined by (i) how severely the symptoms impact the patient and (ii) how well those symptoms can be controlled by medical treatment.

However, it should be noted that many patients who are asymptomatic may require mitral valve replacement surgery if their heart is dilated (enlarged) or experiencing other issues related to heart valve disease and/or congestive heart failure.

>>Next: To learn more about mitral valve replacement surgery and the recovery from mitral valve surgery, please click here.