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Mitral Stenosis
Does severe mitral valve regurgitation require surgery?
Severe mitral valve regurgitation requires surgical treatment, with options including mitral valve repair or replacement surgery. If left untreated, severe mitral regurgitation can lead to enlargement of the left ventricle and a reduction in the heart's ejection fraction, resulting in decreased pumping function and symptoms of heart failure. Patients may experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, fatigue, and nocturnal paroxysmal dyspnea. Severe cases might even exhibit symptoms of acute left heart failure, such as orthopnea, profuse sweating, and coughing up pink frothy sputum. These symptoms typically necessitate hospitalization, which not only adds unnecessary financial burdens but also severely impacts the patient’s quality of life.
Lifespan after mitral valve surgery
Mitral valve surgery includes mitral valve repair and mitral valve replacement repair. The life expectancy after mitral valve surgery is directly related to the patient's preoperative heart function. Patients with poor heart function or poor physical condition have worse prognoses after surgery. If the preoperative heart function and cardiac quality are good and the surgery is timely, the prognosis can be good, even reaching normal life expectancy. Conversely, if the preoperative heart function is poor and the overall physical condition is not good, the prognosis tends to be worse due to the patient's physical state. In general, the earlier the detection and the more timely the surgery, the better the prognosis. Therefore, if there is any growth, it is necessary to seek medical attention promptly.
Is mild mitral valve regurgitation a serious condition?
If the patient has a history of mitral valve insufficiency, it is recommended that they undergo a cardiac echocardiography to further clarify the diagnosis. Simple mitral valve insufficiency can present with rumbling murmurs in the precordial area, but it may also be accompanied by palpitations, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Sometimes, it is necessary to actively manage these symptoms by using positive inotropic drugs to improve the patient's cardiac function. If the patient exhibits swelling in both lower limbs, it may sometimes be necessary to use medications to manage this condition and alleviate the current symptoms. Dietary recommendations should also include a low-salt, low-fat, and low-sugar diet to help improve the symptoms.
Why does mitral stenosis cause thromboembolism?
Due to mitral stenosis, thrombus formation can sometimes occur, especially when ischemic cerebrovascular diseases lead to cerebral infarction. This is because mitral stenosis can cause emboli to dislodge and travel through the bloodstream to reach the cerebral arteries or veins, leading to thrombus formation. During this period, anticoagulant medications are sometimes used for treatment. If a patient has a history of mitral stenosis, it is necessary to actively use medications for treatment. During this time, it is also important to monitor changes in the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse to control the ventricular rate. Currently, treatment is primarily symptomatic, aimed at improving cardiac function.
Can you drink alcohol with mitral valve insufficiency?
If the patient has a history of mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation, they should avoid alcohol as it can lead to a series of side effects, especially symptoms such as chest tightness, palpitations, and difficulty breathing. If drinking alcohol results in elevated blood pressure, it requires proactive management, especially for those with heart valve diseases. It is advised that patients focus on a diet rich in high-quality protein and low in salt, fat, and sodium. Regular echocardiographic check-ups are also essential. If the patient has no special complications, active treatment is needed, which usually involves using medications to improve cardiac function.
Does mitral valve insufficiency affect heart rate?
In order to maintain the vital signs of the human body, the heart must have a fixed cardiac output to ensure the blood supply and nourishment of the body, therefore the cardiac output is definite as per the body's needs. When there is severe mitral valve regurgitation, it causes a decrease in the stroke volume. As a compensation, while the stroke volume decreases, in order to ensure the body's blood supply and nourishment, the heart accelerates its beating to maintain the supply of output. Therefore, patients with mitral valve regurgitation often experience symptoms of tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, and palpitations after exercising. This means that our heart rate after exercise will be faster than in people without mitral valve regurgitation, thus mitral valve regurgitation affects the heart rate.
Severe mitral regurgitation indicators
The criteria for judging mitral valve regurgitation mainly depend on the percentage of the regurgitation area in relation to the left atrial area. If the area of mitral regurgitation exceeds 40% of the left atrial area, it is medically termed as severe regurgitation. If it is below 20%, it is considered mild regurgitation. Generally, patients with severe regurgitation require surgical treatment. This treatment can be conducted through mitral valve replacement surgery or mitral valve repair surgery. Surgical treatment can effectively prevent the occurrence of heart failure, thereby improving the quality of life and extending the patient's lifespan.
Why is the hemoptysis in mitral stenosis dark red?
Since mitral stenosis is a type of congenital heart disease, it could also be rheumatic heart disease. When mitral stenosis occurs, the patient mainly coughs up pink, frothy sputum because the blood at this time is dark red. Before gas exchange occurs, a person's arterial blood exhibits ischemia and hypoxia, so the blood coughed up in this state is definitely dark red. If these symptoms persist, I personally suggest going to the hospital for infusion therapy. If necessary, some hemostatic drugs should also be used to control the symptoms.
The reason for the formation of mitral stenosis pear-shaped heart
The heart undergoes a contraction cycle that begins once the ejection from the previous cycle is complete, necessitating the relaxation of the heart. As the heart relaxes, the mitral valve opens to allow blood to flow from the atrium to the ventricle, preparing for the next heartbeat. In patients with severe mitral stenosis, a significant reduction in the return volume of blood to the heart occurs. This reduction diminishes the pumping action of the ventricle, leading to disuse atrophy of the left ventricle. Normally, the left ventricle is relatively large and capable of maintaining a normal heart shape. When the left ventricle atrophies, it results in the heart having a flatter, more rounded apex, leading to a pear-shaped heart. If the ventricles are unable to efficiently reclaim blood, the load on the left atrium increases. Consequently, the left atrium enlarges, appearing larger at the top and smaller at the bottom in an X-ray, resembling a pear. This is how a pear-shaped heart is formed.