Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Your heart should move the blood in one way along a predetermined fixed course while pumping. However, it may sometimes malfunction. One of the heart conditions where your blood isn’t going where it should is known as “Mitral Valve Regurgitation.”

There are four heart valves that facilitate the movement of blood through the four chambers of the heart and into the body. A kind of heart valve condition known as mitral valve regurgitation occurs when the valve separating the left heart chambers doesn’t close all the way, enabling blood to seep backward across the valve. Blood won’t flow through the heart or to the rest of the body in sufficient amounts if the leakage is significant. Additionally, backward blood flow damages and enlarges the left atrium, causing atrial fibrillation to develop.

Mitral Valve Regurgitation can be acute or chronic. If you have it, you could experience fatigue and shortness of breath. There might also be a fluid accumulation in your lungs and elevated Blood Pressure (BP).

What causes Mitral Valve Regurgitation?

Mitral valve regurgitation can be brought on by a variety of causes:

• Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) – A typical cardiac condition in which, during contractions, the mitral leaflets protrude back into the left atrium, preventing the valve from firmly shutting.
• Damaged tissue cords – A mitral valve leak might result from the tissue cords that attach the leaflets to the heart muscle being stretched or torn.
• Congenital heart defects – It’s possible for heart valves to be affected from birth.
• Rheumatic Fever – The side effect of this infection that goes untreated in childhood might harm the mitral valve and cause regurgitation later in adulthood.
• Endocarditis – An infection of the heart’s lining may cause the valve to become damaged.
• Atrial fibrillation – Regurgitation of the mitral or tricuspid valves may result from the common cardiac rhythm disorder called Atrial Fibrillation.
• Heart Attack – As a result, the muscle region that supports the valve may get damaged, impairing its functionality.

Other than that, certain medicines, trauma and abnormal cardiac muscle activity could also be the reason. Following a cardiac attack, the risk of developing acute mitral valve regurgitation increases. Additionally, it is more prone to occur with an acute injury, an infection of the heart valve, or a rupture of the muscle or tissue that supports the mitral valve.

Symptoms of Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Most sufferers of persistent mitral valve regurgitation go for a long period without experiencing any symptoms. It’s common for people with mild or moderate mitral regurgitation to experience no symptoms. Symptoms might begin if the regurgitation worsens. They may consist of the following:

• Breathlessness during working out
• Breathing difficulties when sleeping flat
• Inability to exercise
• Feeling uncomfortable when you feel your heartbeat
• Your legs, stomach, and neck veins are all swollen.
• Tiredness or fatigue
• Palpitations

Acute, severe mitral valve regurgitation is a medical emergency condition. Serious symptoms like these may result from it:

• Symptoms of shock include a pale complexion, loss of consciousness, and fast breathing.
• Abnormal cardiac rhythms impair the heart’s ability to pump effectively.
• Severe breathing difficulties

If you experience any of these signs, you ought to see a doctor. Our cardiac screening service at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, enables us to swiftly identify the root cause of the problem.

Diagnosis of Mitral Valve Regurgitation

A doctor would often do a physical examination, inquire about your symptoms, and review your medical history to determine whether you have mitral valve prolapse in order to diagnose Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Your doctor will listen to your heart using a stethoscope to listen for cardiac murmurs and other indications of the problem. Tests may be performed to confirm its diagnosis or to look for other illnesses that may generate similar signs and symptoms.

• Echocardiogram to evaluate the severity
• Analyzing cardiac rhythm with an Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Exercising tolerance using a stress Echocardiography
• Cardiac MRI
• Transesophageal Echocardiogram
• Cardiac Catheterization
• Chest X-ray

Treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Depending on the underlying cause of the disease, several treatments are available. Additionally, it varies according to how serious and abrupt the disease is. Additionally, it is based on your general health. It’s possible that you won’t require treatment if you have mild or moderate Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Your doctor could just decide to keep an eye on your situation. Eventually, if you have mild Mitral Valve Regurgitation, you could require recurrent echocardiograms. While medication can’t technically treat a valve issue, it can address other factors that contribute to regurgitation.

With severe mitral valve regurgitation, surgery may be required. When symptoms arise, valve replacement surgery should be taken into consideration only if the valve cannot be repaired. The cardiac surgeon will decide whether to perform the open or a minimally invasive surgery.

Life After Mitral Valve Regurgitation Surgery

For routine monitoring, you’ll need to visit your doctor. When exercising, keep track of your symptoms. Also, take the following points into consideration:

• A heart-healthy, low-salt diet
• Medication to regulate blood pressure
• Caffeine and alcohol intake should be reduced to lower the risk of arrhythmias
• Medicines that lower the risk of arrhythmias

Heart Care facility at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka

We provide heart care services for both adults and children with the aid of fully equipped OTs, labs, and world-class facilities. Our cutting-edge infrastructure and advanced equipment are precisely operated by renowned cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons for effective treatment procedures.

An excellent cardiac rehabilitation programme is also provided at Apollo Hospital, Karnataka, with an emphasis on the postoperative treatment of cardiac patients. Our highly experienced heart doctors, cardiac surgeons, certified nurses, and other medical staff are committed to offering high-quality, personalized treatment while resorting to the patient-centric approach.