Double Valve Leakage

The heart is the most vital organ of the body, which is made up of four valves. These heart valves are known as the mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic valves. The valves play the vital function of keeping blood flowing in the right direction. Each of these four valves is made up of flaps or leaflets that open and close once per heartbeat.

Even minor issues in the heart can be life-threatening and require serious medical attention. The doctors at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, are highly experienced in diagnosing and treating valve-related issues.

Leaky Heart Valves
As mentioned, heart valves play an important role in the optimal functioning of the heart. The flaps in these valves are responsible for helping the blood flow in one direction. However, if for any reason the valves don’t close tightly enough, blood can leak backwards as the valves are closing, or blood can even squeeze past closed valves. This condition is referred to as valve regurgitation, valve insufficiency, or a “leaky heart valve.”

Sometimes more than one valve is affected, causing major leakages. When two heart valves are affected, it is called a Double Valve Leakage. The most common valves to be affected by leakage are the aortic valve and the mitral valve. While many healthy people may have minor leakages in one valve that don’t cause any serious intervention, a double valve leakage is considered far more serious. If left untreated, it can cause serious health issues.

Possible Causes of Double Valve Leakage
A leaky heart valve can be due to any of the following reasons:

• Congenital birth defects
• Calcification
• Physical trauma
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Infective Endocarditis
• Rheumatic fever
• Cardiomyopathy

Symptoms

If the leaks are minor, most people will not notice any serious symptoms, and the leaky heart valves can go unnoticed. However, as time passes, the condition may aggravate, putting an extra amount of strain on the heart. The heart ends up working harder. This can then cause the following symptoms to appear:

• Chest pain
• Dizziness & Fainting
• Fatigue & Weakness
• Heart Murmur
• Heart Palpitations
• Rapid weight gain
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in the ankles, feet or abdomen
• Swelling of your ankles and feet

If anyone faces these symptoms, they must consult a cardiologist immediately. Most heart issues present with these symptoms. The earlier a heart issue is diagnosed, the safer and easier it is to treat it.

Diagnosing Leaky Heart Valves at Apollo Hospitals Karnataka
Correct and timely diagnosis of any heart-related issues is critical. That is why the doctors at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, perform a thorough evaluation and screening of patients who present with heart-related symptoms. To properly diagnose Double Valve Leakage, the doctors may perform all or some of the following tests:

• Cardiac Catheterization
• Cardiac MRI
• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiography
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Exercise tests or stress tests

Our cardiologists will also perform a thorough physical exam, take a complete medical history, and look for any other contributing factors to the patient’s condition.

Double Leaky Heart Valves Treatment at Apollo Hospitals Karnataka
The treatment for a leaky heart valve depends on several factors. The doctors at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, will investigate the present situation and the severity of the symptoms before deciding the final course of treatment.

While some valve leakages may not require urgent intervention, double valve leakages may require surgical intervention at the earliest. When the disease has not progressed far, our doctors would usually recommend lifestyle changes, medication, and regular checkups to monitor the situation and manage the problem. Surgery is done when it is a required and better option for the patient to improve their quality of life.

Our surgeons competently perform the following surgeries to treat valve leakages:

• Minimally Invasive Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery
• Aortic Valve Repair and Replacement Surgery
• Tricuspid Valve Repair and Replacement Surgery
• Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement Surgery
• Pulmonary Valve Repair and Replacement Surgery.

Minimally invasive heart surgeries are performed on eligible patients using tiny incisions. Our top & board-certified surgeons at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, will mostly try to go for heart valve repair rather than replacement if it is a viable option. This is because the heart valve repairs preserve the function and strength of the heart muscle, lower the risk of post-surgery infection and prevent the need to take blood thinners regularly. In cases where heart valve replacement is required, the heart surgeons will replace the damaged valve with a mechanical or biological valve.

However, it is important to note that with any heart-related condition, proper lifestyle changes are required to avoid any further complications and improve the current condition. Our experienced cardiologists and physicians will properly guide heart patients to eat healthily, work out regularly, and avoid alcohol, tobacco or drug usage to ensure a healthy heart.

The patients of Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, vouch for the quality of treatment provided by our doctors. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, expert doctors and medical staff, and the latest medical facilities, you can trust us with the most complex conditions.