Ask for a Referral

You’ll need a referral from your cardiologist to make an appointment with a cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgeon. If you have questions, call 703.558.6491.

Mitral Valve Surgery

Choose an experienced cardiac surgeon at VHC Health if you need surgery to repair or replace a mitral valve in your heart.

What Does a Mitral Valve Do?

The mitral valve is a small flap in your heart that maintains blood flow in and out of the heart. When oxygenated blood enters the left side of the heart from the lungs, the mitral valve allows the blood to flow into the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. When the heart pushes that blood out to the rest of the body, the mitral valve closes to prevent blood from leaking back into the lungs.

Mitral Valve Problems

Mitral valve function can worsen due to age, congenital heart disease or an infection. Review common problems with the mitral valve that may need surgical treatment:

Leakage (regurgitation) is when blood flows backward each time the heart’s main pumping chamber contracts
Narrowing (stenosis) is when your valve does not open as wide as it should and reduces blood flow into the heart’s main pumping chamber
Prolapse is when your valve becomes too stretchy or floppy and doesn’t close properly, which can lead to a leaky valve

To diagnose your mitral valve condition, your cardiologist at VHC Health will order cardiac catheterization and a transesophageal echocardiogram (test that uses sound waves to show the back of your heart). If surgery is your best treatment option, your doctor will refer you to a cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgeon at VHC Health.

Mitral Valve Repair & Replacement Surgery

Mitral valve repair or replacement surgery restores healthy blood flow to your heart.

Mitral Valve Reconstruction

Mitral valve reconstruction treats prolapse and leakage problems. You’ll be on a heart-lung bypass machine that temporarily maintains blood circulation and oxygen during the surgery. Your surgeon opens your heart's left upper chamber to identify and repair the leak and reconstruct the valve’s framework (annulus) using an annuloplasty ring to prevent further leaking.

Mitral Valve Replacement

Sometimes valves are too damaged to repair and have to be replaced. Depending on your age and the valve's size and position, your surgeon will replace the valve with a prosthetic or mechanical (metal) valve. You will be on a heart-lung bypass machine while your surgeon removes and replaces the old valve with a new one. An anesthesiologist will check the new valve with a transesophageal echocardiogram to ensure it works properly during the surgery.

After Mitral Valve Surgery

You’ll go to the intensive care unit for close observation after surgery. As your recovery progresses, you’ll move to the cardiovascular step-down unit for three to four days.

Before leaving the hospital, your care team will make sure you can walk normally and eat regular food.