Can mitral valve insufficiency be treated without valve replacement?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on September 06, 2024
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Mitral valve regurgitation is classified into mild, moderate, and severe categories. Generally speaking, patients with mild and some moderate regurgitation may not exhibit symptoms. However, a small proportion of patients with moderate or severe regurgitation might experience symptoms such as tightness after activity and difficulty breathing. If these conditions recur, there may be an indication for surgical intervention. Therefore, for patients with moderate to severe symptoms, or those with significant enlargement of the heart, it is recommended to consider surgery at an early stage. If patients with mild or some moderate mitral valve regurgitation are asymptomatic and do not show significant enlargement of the heart structure, medical treatment or observation without valve replacement can be considered.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Why does mitral valve insufficiency cause regurgitation?

Mitral valve regurgitation can cause backflow, as it is a type of rheumatic heart disease. Currently, treatment primarily focuses on symptomatic relief and improving the patient’s cardiopulmonary function. During this period, it is still important to actively monitor the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse changes. If there is a rapid heart rate or increased blood pressure, these conditions need active intervention to alleviate the patient’s state of ischemia and hypoxia. If there is significant regurgitation, it may lead to a state of hypoxia. During this period, it is still important to actively monitor the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse. Regular follow-up with cardiac echocardiography is adequate, and it is also necessary to actively prevent upper respiratory infections.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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What to do about chronic cough due to mitral valve insufficiency?

If the patient exhibits mitral regurgitation, this condition falls under cardiac valvular diseases. If the patient frequently experiences coughing and expectorating phlegm, it indicates a certain level of inflammatory infection. It is recommended for the patient to undergo a chest CT scan for an effective confirmation of the cause, which will then determine the treatment plan. For simple mitral stenosis, symptomatic treatment is currently the primary approach, using medications to address heart failure or ischemia and hypoxia. Early treatment is advised to alleviate the current state of ischemia and hypoxia. Persistent coughing and expectorating phlegm indicate inflammation, necessitating the use of antibiotics.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Why does mitral regurgitation decrease during inspiration?

If the patient has a history of mitral valve regurgitation, this condition can lead to changes in heart function, particularly symptoms like palpitations and difficulty breathing. If the symptoms decrease during inhalation, this might be caused by abnormally low pressure in the left ventricle or left atrium. Since this is a pathological change, it is currently recommended that the patient actively use medication and control changes in heart function. If the condition worsens, sometimes surgical treatment is advised as it can also serve a therapeutic purpose.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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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.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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How to treat calcification of mitral valve regurgitation?

Mitral valve regurgitation with calcification indicates the onset of calcification in this condition, though this alone does not necessarily indicate a problem. However, mitral valve regurgitation should still be actively treated. Early or mild cases can lead to pathological changes in the heart, particularly when there is excess pressure on the mitral valve, left ventricle, or left atrium. This may cause symptoms like palpitations, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Sometimes, medications to dilate blood vessels, strengthen the heart, and promote urination may be necessary to reduce cardiac load and improve symptoms.