Is a leaking mitral heart valve serious?
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Is a leaking mitral heart valve serious?
A healthy mitral valve keeps your blood moving in the right direction. A leaky valve doesn’t close the way it should, allowing some blood to flow backward into the left atrium. If left untreated, a leaky valve could lead to heart failure.
What happens when you have a leakage in your heart?
With a leaky valve, sometimes not enough blood gets pumped to the rest of the body. Heart valve leakage/regurgitation can force the heart to work harder to do its job. The condition can lead to heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest, and death.
Is mitral valve prolapse serious?
Usually, mitral valve prolapse isn’t life-threatening and doesn’t require treatment or lifestyle changes. But some people may need medications or surgery, especially if the prolapse causes severe regurgitation.
Can you fix a leaking heart?
A leaky heart valve, also called regurgitation, can happen suddenly or it may develop slowly over many years. If it’s a minor issue, it can be treated with medication, or you may not need treatment at all. But in some cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair or replace it to prevent damage to your heart.
What is the treatment for a leaky heart valve?
Treatments include medicines, surgical repair, or surgical replacement of the leaky valve. Observation over time for changes is the most common approach to a leaky heart valve.
How do you fix a leaky mitral valve?
During mitral valve repair surgery, a surgeon may:
- Patch holes in a heart valve.
- Reconnect the valve leaflets.
- Remove excess tissue from the valve so that the flaps can close tightly.
- Repair the structure of the mitral valve by replacing cords that support it.
- Separate valve leaflets that have fused.
What medication is used for leaky heart valve?
There are three main types of blood thinners that patients commonly take: anticoagulants like warfarin or heparin, antiplatelet drugs like aspirin, and fibrinolytics like tPA (tissue plasminogen activator).
Can you fix a leaky heart valve without surgery?
While this condition can lead to serious health problems, it is treatable – even more so these days due to a minimally invasive procedure using the MitraClip. This FDA-approved device allows physicians to fix faulty heart valves without doing open heart surgery.
