Heart Valve Repair Procedures

Mitral Valve Repair

The mitral heart valve may be abnormal from birth. More often the mitral heart valve becomes abnormal from the aging process or as a result of rheumatic heart disease. In rare instances, the mitral valve can be damaged by infection or a left ventricular dysfunction. Structural abnormalities of the valve area cause leakage (regurgitation), narrowing (stenosis) or a combination of both.

More than 95 percent of patients presenting with mitral regurgitation undergo successful mitral heart valve repair, not mitral heart valve replacement. This figure is critically important since, for every group studied, heart valve repair is superior to replacement. Most patients with mitral valve stenosis undergo valve replacement.

Aortic Valve Repair

Aortic heart valve repair is a surgical procedure used to correct some aortic heart valve disorders. It is an alternative to aortic heart valve replacement. Aortic heart valve repair is performed less often and is more technically difficult than mitral heart valve repair.