Mitral valve

The mitral valve acts as an inlet valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle. Read more about the mitral valve!

Mitral valve

The mitral valve is one of the four heart valves. It connects the left atrium with the left ventricle and acts there as an inlet valve: The flap ensures that the blood flows only from the atrium into the ventricle and does not flow in the opposite direction. Read everything important about the mitral valve!

Product Overview

mitral valve

  • Mitral valve: inlet valve in the left heart

  • Common problems of the mitral valve

Mitral valve: inlet valve in the left heart

The mitral valve (also called the bicuspid valve) directs blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. It is like the other three heart valves formed by the heart endocardium (endocardium) and is a so-called sail flap. It consists of two corners, a front and a rear sail. Sinewy strands begin at the edges of the sails, continuations of the papillary muscles (these are small protuberances of the inner wall of the chamber). The sinew cords prevent the free-hanging lobes of the valve from being forced back into the atrium during contraction of the ventricle (systole) due to the pressure that results. As soon as systole begins, the free edges of the valve leaflets are firmly attached to each other by the blood flow, sealing the boundary between the atrium and the chamber completely tightly.

In the following diastole (relaxation phase of the ventricle) the blood flows from the forecourt into the chamber - for this the flap must be fully opened again.

Common problems of the mitral valve

In mitral stenosis, the mitral valve is narrowed, which affects the filling of the ventricle during diastole. In most cases, mitral stenosis is due to rheumatic heart valve inflammation, rarely is it congenital.

In mitral regurgitation, the mitral valve does not close tightly, allowing blood from the ventricle to flow back into the atrium during systole. The amount of blood circulating between the atrium and the ventricle leads to a volume load on the two heart halves. As a result, they dilate (dilatation). Possible causes of mitral insufficiency include, for example, rheumatic diseases, bacterial endocarditis, valve rupture or valve perforation.

A mitral valve prolapse is a protuberance of one or both valve leaflets during systole into the atrium. The flap can still be tight; but if it is more pronounced it can also be associated with a degree of insufficiency. The prolapse is partly innate, but in most cases the cause is unclear. The doctor can with the stethoscope the prolapse of the mitral valve perceive as a "systolic click".

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Mitral valve

FAQ - 💬

❓ How serious is a mitral valve problem?

👉 If left untreated, mitral valve disease may lead to more serious problems, such as heart dilation, in which the heart's walls become stretched and weakened. As a result, heart rhythm problems may occur, including atrial fibrillation.

❓ Is mitral valve and bicuspid valve the same?

👉 The mitral valve is also known as the bicuspid valve. This is one of the heart's four valves that help prevent blood from flowing backward as it moves through the heart.

❓ What happens when the mitral valve is not working properly?

👉 Mitral valve disease occurs when the mitral valve doesn't work properly, allowing blood to flow backward into the left atrium. As a result, your heart does not pump enough blood out of the left ventricular chamber to supply your body with oxygen-filled blood.

❓ How do you fix mitral valve?

👉 Mitral valve repair or replacement may involve: Open-heart surgery, which involves a cut (incision) in the chest. Minimally invasive heart surgery, which uses smaller incisions in the chest. Minimally invasive heart surgery may involve a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and less pain than open-heart surgery.

❓ What is the life expectancy after mitral valve repair?

👉 Operative mortality and long-term survival are presented for repair and replacement. Operative mortality was 3.9% for patients undergoing repair and 8.9% for patients undergoing replacement. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for patients undergoing repair were 90.9%, 77.1%, and 53.6%.

❓ How long can you live with a leaky mitral valve?

👉 O'HAIR: Researchers have discovered that most individuals with a mild leak in the valve are still alive five years after diagnosis. However, for those with a severe leak that goes untreated, survival drops way off, hovering around 60% surviving at five years.

❓ Which heart valve is most important?

👉 The aortic valve is the final valve that oxygen-rich blood passes through before exiting the heart and coursing through the rest of the body. The valve prevents blood from flowing back to the left ventricle.

❓ Which of the heart valve is considered most repairable?

👉 The most commonly repaired valve is the mitral valve.

❓ What are the symptoms of a faulty mitral valve?

👉 Symptoms

  • dizziness.
  • breathlessness.
  • tiredness.
  • an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or noticeable heartbeats (palpitations)
  • mitral regurgitation.

❓ Can a mitral valve repair itself?

👉 Unfortunately, heart valves do not tend to heal themselves. It is true that some infants born with heart murmurs will eventually grow out of the murmur as the heart matures.

❓ Can the mitral valve be fixed without surgery?

👉 โ€œIn some situations, mitral valve disease is not life threatening and does not require surgery,โ€ Dr. Kapadia says. โ€œIf surgery is recommended and you're high risk for surgery, we can either repair or replace the mitral valve with minimally invasive procedures.โ€

❓ What is the function of the mitral valve?

👉 The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart that keep blood flowing in the right direction. Each valve has flaps (leaflets) that open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve doesn't open or close properly, blood flow through the heart to the body can be reduced.

❓ What is mitral valve regurgitation?

👉 The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart that keep blood flowing in the right direction. Each valve has flaps (leaflets) that open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve doesn't open or close properly, blood flow through the heart to the body can be reduced. In mitral valve regurgitation, the flaps don't close tightly.

❓ What are mitral valve problems?

👉 Mitral valve problems. The mitral valve is a small flap in the heart that stops blood flowing the wrong way. Problems with it can affect how blood flows around the body.

❓ What is the size of the mitral valve?

👉 The mitral valve is typically 4 to 6 square centimetres (0.62 to 0.93 sq in) in area, and sits in the left heart between the left atrium and the left ventricle.


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