Mitral Valve Disease: Why Choose Chester County Hospital?
The Heart Valve Center at Chester County Hospital offers the latest advancements in heart valve care. Our multidisciplinary team provides advanced testing, treatment and follow-up care right here in your community. You also have access to the latest devices and procedures through Penn Medicine hospitals in Philadelphia.
What Is Mitral Valve Disease?
The mitral valve is one of the heart’s four valves. It has flaps (leaflets or cusps) that control the flow of blood from the left atrium to the left ventricle. When the valve is deformed or does not close properly, you may experience:
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mitral valve prolapse is a condition in which the valve’s flaps (or leaflets) become enlarged or stretched. As the heart beats, the enlarged flaps bulge into the left atrium and can cause the valve to leak (mitral valve regurgitation).
Mitral Valve Regurgitation
If the mitral valve flaps do not close tightly or the valve’s size and shape are altered, blood may leak backward. This leak is called mitral valve regurgitation or mitral insufficiency. With this condition, your heart needs to work harder to pump blood through the valve, leading to atrial fibrillation (AFib) or heart failure.
Mitral valve regurgitation often evolves slowly with no noticeable symptoms. As the condition progresses, you may develop symptoms including:
- Shortness of Breath: You may have trouble breathing, especially during exercise.
- Heart Palpitations: You may notice a fluttering sensation in your heart, especially when lying on your left side.
- Swelling of Hands and Feet: Extremities may swell when blood flow is disturbed.
- Fatigue: You may tire easily, especially during physical exertion.
Mitral Valve Regurgitation Treatment
If your regurgitation is not causing symptoms, your cardiologist may recommend regular monitoring. If symptoms exist, medications may ease the discomfort. Depending on the progression of your valve disease, our cardiac team may suggest repairing or replacing your valve with procedures including:
- Mitral Valve Surgery, performed as either open-chest or minimally invasive heart surgery.
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR), a minimally invasive option if you are not a candidate for traditional surgery. Learn More About TMVR.
- MitraClip™, a nonsurgical option for high-risk patients who need mitral valve repair but are not candidates for mitral valve surgery. Using a catheter (a thin, flexible tube), your cardiologist places a clip on your mitral valve. The clip stops the leak by enabling your valve to close more completely. Learn More About MitraClip.
In addition to offering traditional treatments, Penn interventional cardiologists study and test innovative transcatheter devices that treat mitral valves. Select patients are candidates for investigational devices and procedures through clinical trials offered at Penn.
Request an Appointment
Call 800-789-7366 (PENN) to speak to one of our heart and vascular experts. You can also request an appointment using our online form.