The role of surgery in heart valve disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Surgery may be a better approach than medication for people with mitral valve disease, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic.
The mitral valve separates the upper and lower left chambers of the heart. In mitral regurgitation, the valve does not close properly which means blood washes back into the heart instead of being pumped round the body. People with this kind of valve disease may experience symptoms such as fatigue, exhaustion, light-headedness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that age and having diabetes worsened the outcome in mitral regurgitation although scanning studies showed the most important factor was anatomical. The size of the jet stream washing back into the heart influenced the outcome, according to ultrasound images of the heart and blood flow pattern in a group of patients.

This measure could, they say, be used as a threshold for who should have surgery to repair the valve. The operation is not without risk, but those whose jet stream area was above the threshold had a five times higher risk of dying if left on medication. These findings will provide a useful guide for doctors advising those with mitral regurgitation on their treatment options.

Source
Mayo Clinic 2nd March 2005