Mitral Valve Disease

Surgery

Part of a prolapsing mitral valve is removed to allow the valve to fully close and stop leaking.

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An annuloplasty repair of a posterior valve.

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Each year in the United States, more than 50,000 surgeries are performed on the mitral valve, a valve in the heart which regulates blood flow from the upper left chamber (atrium), to the lower left chamber (ventricle).

Cardiovascular surgeons generally agree that, whenever possible, a heart valve should be repaired instead of replaced. Valve repair may be performed to separate fused valve leaflets, sew torn leaflets or reshape parts of the valve. Heart valve repair leaves patients with their own normally functioning tissue, which is resistant to infection and does not require blood-thinning medication.

In some cases, however, the valve is too damaged to permit repair and must be replaced with a prosthetic (artificial) valve. Valves damaged by rheumatic disease often must be replaced.

Mayo Clinic heart surgeons repair or replace an average of 450 mitral valves each year, making Mayo Clinic one of the largest and most experienced medical centers for this surgery.

Mitral valve regurgitation

If left untreated, mitral valve regurgitation can lead to congestive heart failure, which currently affects nearly five million people in the United States.

Regurgitation may be corrected by repairing the abnormal valve leaflet or repairing or replacing the supporting valve structures to allow the valve to close tightly. A prosthetic ring may also be inserted to reshape a deformed valve. Valve flaps (leaflets) may also be modified so that they do not allow blood to flow backwards. These valves are usually repairable and rarely require replacement.

Mitral valve stenosis

By surgically separating or shaving back valve leaflets — called commissurotomy — physicians can eliminate mitral stenosis and improve blood flow. However, usually these valves require replacement.

See more information about heart valve repair and replacement at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.