Valve Surgeries

The heart has four chambers. There are two small chambers at the top of the heart called atria, and two larger chambers at the bottom called ventricles.

Each ventricle has two valves:

One valve controls the blood flowing into the ventricle
The other valve controls the blood flowing out of the ventricle

Each valve is made up of flaps, also called leaflets or cusps. These flaps open and close, acting as one-way gates for the blood to flow through.

Mitral Valve Surgery

The mitral valve (also called the bicuspid valve) separates the upper left heart chamber from the lower left heart chamber, and helps control blood flow through the heart.

Problems with the mitral valve can make the heart less efficient at pumping blood around the body. Severe problems can lead to heart failure if the valve is not surgically repaired or replaced.
Mitral valve problems

Common mitral valve problems are:

mitral regurgitation, or backflow of blood
mitral valve prolapse, where the valve collapses (often leading to regurgitation)
mitral stenosis, where the valve doesn’t open as wide as it should, restricting blood flow

Mitral valve operations

The most common procedures are:

mitral valve repair surgery
mitral valve replacement surgery
percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty (used to treat mitral stenosis)