Essay On Mitral Valve

The mitral valve is the valve that regulates flow from the left atrium of the heart into the left ventricle. This valve is subject to a few different diseases and pathologies that affect its form and function. One of those diseases is mitral valve stenosis which is when the mitral opening between the left atrium and the left ventricle narrows and restricts the blood flow through it. The etiology, pathology and symptoms of mitral valve stenosis are well known and well documented which allows physicians to diagnose the disease with accurately with the right tools. The prognosis of the disease includes death if left untreated, but improves every year with improvements in the treatment of the disease. The most common cause of the stenosis is an infection caused by rheumatic fever which causes the leaflets of the mitral valve to get thicker or to fuse together. Mitral valve stenosis can also be caused by a buildup of calcium deposits on the leaflets, or by a congenital defect where the leaflets are not correctly formed. When a patient has mitral valve stenosis, the patient 's left atrial size and pressure increase to overcome the smaller passageway to the left ventricle. This means that the heart, mainly the left atrium has to work harder to keep a normal cardiac output. If left untreated, the pressure in the …show more content…
This will eventually cause the heart to fail and death of the patient to occur. However, there are many treatment options for someone with mitral valve stenosis including medications if it is not severe. If it is severe, treatments can range from balloon mitral valvuloplasty and surgical commissurotomy to mitral valve replacement. As research and development into the procedures and replacement valves improve in the future, the prognosis of this disease will also