Mitral Valve Surgery

The mitral valve sits between the two left chambers of your heart, which is the left atrium and the left ventricle. The valve has flaps, called leaflets, that open to allow blood through and then close to keep the blood from flowing backward during each heartbeat. Mitral valve disease occurs when the valve does not open or close properly, causing your heart to work harder. Over time, this strain can lead to serious health issues, including but not limited to, irregular heartbeat, heart failure, blood clots, stroke, and even death.

Our cardiothoracic surgeons combine leading expertise with state-of-the-art technology to treat mitral valve disease. With proactive treatment, we can help restore mitral valve function and improve your quality of life.

Referring providers: Call 909-558-4208 to refer a patient for mitral valve treatment.

Why Choose Us for Mitral Valve Surgery

• Experts in complex care: We’re equipped to handle even the most complex cases, with access to advanced resources that many hospitals don’t have. This includes active research programs offering the latest heart valves and clinical trials, along with experienced heart surgeons who are experts in valve surgery.
• Robotic and minimally invasive surgery: Our surgeons use advanced robotics and minimally invasive techniques when possible. This approach provides greater precision with smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery times.
• Comprehensive care and support: We collaborate closely with other specialized teams to ensure you receive a personalized treatment plan before and after the surgery.

Conditions We Treat

• Mitral valve regurgitation, when the mitral valve flaps, also called leaflets, do not close completely, causing blood to leak backward into the left atrium with each heartbeat. This can reduce the heart’s efficiency leading to symptoms, including but not limited to fatigue, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat or palpitations.
• Mitral valve stenosis, when the leaflets of the mitral valve become thick, stiff, and abnormally narrow, restricting blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. This causes increased pressure leading to symptoms, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, swelling of feet, ankles, and legs, and irregular heartbeat or palpitations.

Services We Provide

Treatment for mitral valve disease depends on the severity of the symptoms. In many cases, surgery may be the best option to prevent serious long-term complications and improve your quality of life. Whether your mitral valve needs to be repaired or replaced ultimately depends on the valve’s condition. In addition, age, other existing health conditions, and your lifestyle can also impact this decision. Your surgeon will help you decide what’s best for you.

Valve Repair

For mitral valve regurgitation: We specialize in repairing leaky mitral valves using advanced techniques that restore proper closure of the valve. This often includes reshaping or supporting the valve with an annuloplasty ring, a support ring that helps reshape and tighten heart valves. Surgical repair is often preferred due to fewer complications and better long-term durability.

Valve Replacement

For mitral valve regurgitation and stenosis: If repair is not possible, we may recommend valve replacement using mechanical or biological prosthetic valves. Mechanical heart valves can potentially last a lifetime but require lifelong use of blood thinners. On the other hand, biological valves (pig or cow) do not require use of blood thinners but can wear out and fail over time. Our team will help you decide which route to take.

Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Mitral Valve Disease

We are one of the only hospitals in the area with both the equipment and the specialized expertise needed to perform robotic-assisted mitral valve procedures safely and effectively. This advanced option can mean less pain, shorter hospital stays, and a quicker return to your daily life compared to traditional open-heart surgery.

Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery:

• Smaller incisions, reduced scarring, and less blood loss 
• Greater surgical precision for complex mitral valve repairs 
• Shorter recovery times and faster return to normal activities 

Recovery

Recovery depends on the type of procedure performed, i.e., robotic-assisted vs traditional mitral valve surgery. We provide ongoing follow-up care, cardiac rehabilitation, and lifestyle adjustments to help bring you to a full recovery.

We’ll provide you with more information about the recovery process upon discharge.

Take the Next Step 

We’re here to guide you every step of the way. Call our cardiothoracic surgery outpatient clinic at 909-558-4208 for more information or ask your cardiologist or primary care provider for a referral.