Mitral Valve Surgery
Choose an experienced heart surgeon at VHC Health if you need surgery to repair or replace your mitral valve. This treatment can help you breathe easier, feel more energetic, and protect your heart in Arlington and the DC metro.
What Does a Mitral Valve Do?
The mitral valve is a small flap on the left side of your heart. It controls how blood moves in and out of the heart. When oxygen‑rich blood comes in from the lungs, the mitral valve lets it flow into the left ventricle. (That's your heart’s main pumping chamber.) When your heart pushes blood out to the rest of your body, the mitral valve closes. So, blood doesn’t leak backward into the lungs.
Mitral Valve Problems
The mitral valve can stop working well because of aging, a heart condition you were born with, or an infection. Common problems include:
- Leakage (regurgitation): blood flows backward when the heart squeezes
- Narrowing (stenosis): the valve doesn’t open wide enough
- Prolapse: the valve becomes too stretchy or floppy and doesn’t close properly
These problems can cause shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling in the legs, or heart rhythm changes. To diagnose your condition, your cardiologist may order:
- Cardiac catheterization
- Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), which uses sound waves to show detailed images of your heart
If surgery is the best treatment, you’ll meet with a cardiac, vascular, and thoracic surgeon at VHC Health.
Mitral Valve Repair or Replacement Surgery
Mitral valve repair or replacement surgery restores healthy blood flow to your heart.
Mitral Valve Repair
Repair treats prolapse or leaking valves. You’ll be on a heart‑lung bypass machine, which keeps blood and oxygen moving during the operation. Your surgeon will open the left upper chamber of your heart and fix the leak. They may use an annuloplasty ring to support the valve and stop future leaking.
Mitral Valve Replacement
If the valve is too damaged to repair, a surgeon may replace it. Your surgeon will use either a prosthetic valve or a mechanical (metal) valve, depending on your needs. You’ll stay on the heart‑lung machine during the surgery while the old valve is removed and the new one is put in place. An anesthesiologist uses a TEE to make sure the new valve works correctly.
After Mitral Valve Surgery
After surgery, you’ll recover in the intensive care unit (ICU). When you’re stronger, you’ll move to the cardiovascular step‑down unit for three to four days. Before you go home, your team will make sure you can walk safely, eat normally, and care for yourself.
Follow-Up Care
About one week after you return home, you’ll have a follow‑up visit. Your team will check your incision, adjust medications if needed, and make sure you’re healing well. Many patients also join cardiac rehabilitation to rebuild strength and stamina.
