How can mitral valve prolapse be corrected

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What happens during MVP? Is mitral valve prolapse dangerous? What causes MVP? How's mitral valve prolapse detected? What should I do if a murmur is detected? Does mitral valve prolapse need to be treated? People with an abnormal mitral valve may need mitral valve repair or replacement if: Symptoms are getting worse Mitral regurgitation becomes severe The left ventricle or left atrium of the heart become enlarged Arrhythmias develop The heart function ejection fraction decreases MVP rarely becomes a serious condition.

Do people with MVP need to take antibiotics before dental procedures? Last Reviewed: Feb 9, Heart Valve Disease Resources Find out more about your heart valves and how to manage heart valve disease. View Resources. Mitral valve prolapse is a structural change in the mitral valve of the heart. 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 kids, doctors might find mitral valve prolapse during a regular checkup. When listening to the heart with a stethoscope, the doctor might hear a click or a murmur. If so, the doctor will send the child to a pediatric cardiologist, a doctor who diagnoses and treats heart conditions in kids. Kids with mitral valve prolapse don't need medical treatment. If the condition causes a lot of mitral regurgitation, doctors may prescribe blood pressure medicine to control how hard the heart muscle works.

With blood leaking back into the atrium, the heart works harder to pump the normal amount of blood out to the body. A child who has an arrhythmia along with mitral valve prolapse may need to take medicine to help regulate the heart's rhythm. But this is uncommon in kids.

Leakage from a mitral valve prolapse may go on for years. Rarely, a child might need surgery to repair a very leaky mitral valve. Later in life, someone might need their mitral valve repaired or replaced if:. Kids who have mitral valve prolapse and a leaky valve have a small risk of a bacterial infection of the heart valve infective endocarditis.

It very rarely happens during childhood. Medical Review: Rakesh K. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.

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Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. Topic Overview To treat mitral valve regurgitation surgically, the options are to repair or replace the mitral valve. When is valve repair recommended? The advantages of mitral valve repair include the following: It preserves your natural valve and its support chordae tendineae.

In general, the more of the natural valve that can be preserved during surgery, the better the results of the procedure.