Abstract
Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2013;2(6):857 www.annalscts.com Background The mitral valve controls the direction and flow of blood through the left chambers of the heart. If the valve becomes too hard (calcified) and too narrow (stenosis), flow will be reduced; if the valve becomes too loose, flow might travel backwards (regurgitation). Abnormal blood flow will force the heart to work harder, eventually causing heart failure. Symptoms that this is occurring include shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain, syncope and/or fatigue. When these symptoms become severe, the surgeon can decide to repair or replace the mitral valve through open heart surgery, which usually requires the breastbone to be cut open, or through a minimally invasive approach, which requires only small cuts to be made in the right side of the chest. Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery ACS Patient Page
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.