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What Is The Cure For Mitral Valve Regurgitation?

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Mitral valve regurgitation is a heart condition that is caused when the heart’s mitral valve cannot close tightly shut and as a result, there is a reverse flow of blood in your heart. It is caused by conditions like mitral valve prolapse.

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What Is The Cure For Mitral Valve Regurgitation?
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What Is The Cure For Mitral Valve Regurgitation?

Mitral valve regurgitation is usually a slowly progressing condition. However, symptoms can start, or condition can worsen very suddenly. Regurgitation often requires no treatment. Though if needed, it can be cured with medications or surgery, as per your condition.

The treatment of mitral valve regurgitation largely depends upon the severity of your condition, the signs and symptoms that you experience and if your condition is worsening and with what speed. The focus of the treatment is to reduce the severity of your symptoms, improve the functioning of heart and avoid any complications in future.

The treatment strategy will usually involve the following steps-

Waiting window

  • This is a period of a watchful waiting
  • If you suffer from mild mitral valve regurgitation, or if you do not produce any symptoms, you may not need any treatment at all
  • However, a regular evaluation is necessary to gauge the severity of your condition and to detect early if your symptoms are worsening
  • Your doctor may also recommend some dietary and lifestyle changes for your heart health

Medications

Medication cannot treat any mitral valve problems. However, some medications can help in reducing your symptoms and thus provide you with some relief. Also, some medicines will prevent any complications from happening. These medications may include one or many of the following-

Anti-hypertensives

  • High blood pressure can worsen your symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation
  • If you suffer from a high blood pressure problem, anti-hypertensive medicines will help in keeping your blood pressure within normal levels, thus preventing any complications

Anti-coagulants

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  • These are commonly known as blood thinners
  • Blood thinners can help in preventing clots from forming in your blood
  • These drugs are especially important in cases like atrial fibrillation

Diuretics

  • Very well known as water pills, these medicines can help in removing extra water from your body, through urine
  • These medications can help in the removal of excess fluid from your legs or lungs
  • Mitral valve regurgitation is many times accompanied by fluid collection in lungs

Surgery For Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Many cases of mitral valve regurgitation may not need any treatment at all, and even fewer face the need of undergoing a surgery. If needed, surgery can be done through two methods-the defective valve can be repaired, or it can be replaced. Sometimes, it is seen that the doctors suggest a repair or a replacement even if you are not experiencing any symptoms. This is done as a precautionary method and for avoiding any future complications. This may also help in improving the prognosis of the condition. If there is a need for surgery for any other heart condition, your doctor may replace the valve at the same time, during that surgery.

Mitral valve repair

  • Mitral valve repair can be done in many ways
  • The surgeon can reconnect the leaflets (flaps) of the valve, replace the cords that support the valve, remove excess tissue so that the flaps can close tighter, tighten the ring by implanting an artificial ring, which is known as annuloplasty band
  • Surgeons usually try to preserve your own valve
  • In case this is not possible, they may replace it

Mitral valve replacement

  • If the mitral valve is beyond repair, your surgeons may recommend a valve replacement
  • In this case, the defective valve is removed and is replaced by an artificial valve
  • The artificial valve can be a mechanical valve or a biological tissue valve
  • While both valves have their pros, they have their cons too
  • Mechanical valve will last longer compared to the biological valve

However, people with mechanical valve will have to take blood thinners throughout their lives.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:December 23, 2023

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