In some cases, the prolapsed valve lets a small amount of blood leak backward through the valve, called regurgitation, which may cause a heart murmur. Watch an animation of mitral valve prolapse. Most people who have the condition are unaware of it and their health isn't affected. However, in some cases treatment is required.
The most common cause of MVP is abnormally stretchy valve leaflets called myxomatous valve disease. A person can be born with the genetic risk of developing MVP. It also can be caused by other health problems, such as some connective tissue diseases. Common symptoms include bursts of rapid heartbeat palpitations , chest discomfort and fatigue.
The echo uses ultrasound to evaluate the characteristics of the valve cusps and how much blood may be leaking regurgitation from the valve when the heart contracts. The test results and extent of your symptoms will guide your health care team in determining if further testing is needed. Talk with your health care team about how to prevent complications from MVP based on your level of risk.
An ECG records these electrical signals and can help your doctor detect irregularities in your heart's rhythm. Stress test. Your doctor may order a stress test to see if mitral valve regurgitation limits your ability to exercise. In a stress test, you exercise or take certain medications to increase your heart rate and make your heart work harder.
You may also have a stress test if your doctor is trying to determine if you have another condition such as coronary artery disease. Coronary angiogram. This test uses X-ray imaging to see your heart's blood vessels.
It isn't generally used to diagnose mitral valve prolapse but may reveal the condition when you're being tested for another suspected diagnosis. In some cases, your doctor may recommend a coronary angiogram to gather more information about the severity of your condition. Most people with mitral valve prolapse, particularly people without symptoms, don't require treatment.
If you have mitral valve regurgitation but don't have symptoms, your doctor may suggest you return regularly for follow-up examinations to monitor your condition, depending on the severity of your condition. However, if you have symptoms and if a significant amount of blood is leaking through the mitral valve, your doctor may recommend medications or surgery. Medications can treat mitral valve prolapse-related heart rhythm abnormalities or other complications.
Some medications you might be prescribed include:. Blood thinners. If you have atrial fibrillation, a history of heart failure or a history of strokes, your doctor may suggest a blood thinner to prevent your blood from clotting. They include warfarin Coumadin, Jantoven , heparin, dabigatran Pradaxa , rivaroxaban Xarelto , apixaban Eliquis and edoxaban Savaysa. Blood thinners can have dangerous side effects, however, and must be taken exactly as prescribed. Though most people with mitral valve prolapse don't need surgery, your doctor may suggest surgical treatment if you have severe mitral valve regurgitation, whether you have symptoms or not.
Severe mitral valve regurgitation can eventually cause heart failure, preventing your heart from effectively pumping blood. If regurgitation goes on too long, your heart may be too weak for surgery. Surgery involves repairing or replacing the mitral valve. Valve repair and replacement may be performed using open-heart surgery or minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery involves smaller incisions and may have less blood loss and a quicker recovery time.
For most people, mitral valve repair is the preferred surgical treatment. Rather than closing tightly, one or both flaps of the valve billow into the left atrium of the heart. Most of the time, mitral valve prolapse causes few symptoms or complications initially. In some people, it does not cause any symptoms at all.
However, mitral valve prolapse may get worse over time. When it does, it can increase the risk of serious heart problems, including infections, life-threatening arrhythmia , and congestive heart failure.
As a result, a doctor who specializes in conditions relating to the heart, called a cardiologist, should continue to monitor a person with a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse. The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart. The mitral valve sits between two chambers of the heart: the left atrium and the left ventricle.
It controls blood flow from the atrium into the ventricle. When the mitral valve functions correctly, it closes completely when the left ventricle contracts. In doing so, it prevents blood from moving back up into the left atrium, and the blood flows forward instead. In people with mitral valve prolapse, the mitral valve structure is abnormal. As a result, blood may move from the left ventricle into the left atrium as the heart contracts due to the billowing of the flaps, or leaflets.
This backward leakage of blood is called mitral regurgitation. The amount of blood that backs up into the left atrium varies among people with the condition. In rare cases, a significant amount of blood regurgitates into the left atrium, causing problems. Mitral valve repair is an operation to make the flaps of the mitral valve stay closer together. This will help stop blood flowing the wrong way through the valve. It's mainly used to treat mitral valve prolapse or regurgitation, if the problem is serious and causing symptoms.
The operation is carried out under general anaesthetic , where you're asleep. Your surgeon will usually get to your heart through a single cut along the middle of your chest, but smaller cuts between your ribs are sometimes used. The operation may be done as keyhole surgery, where a small clip is attached to the mitral valve to help it close. Most people experience a significant improvement in their symptoms after surgery, but speak to your surgeon about the possible complications.
Mitral valve replacement is an operation to replace your mitral valve with a mechanical valve or a valve made from animal tissue a bioprosthetic valve. This is usually only done if you have mitral stenosis or mitral prolapse or regurgitation and are unable to have a valve repair. Your surgeon will usually replace the valve through a single cut along the middle of your chest.
The risk of serious problems is generally higher than with mitral valve repair. You'll also need to take medicine to prevent blood clots for a long time after this operation. If you have a mechanical valve, you'll need to take this medicine for life. Balloon valvuloplasty, also called percutaneous mitral commissurotomy, is a procedure that can be used to widen the mitral valve if you have mitral stenosis.
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