Valves

this medical condition (“Aortic Valve Stenosis”). What is this potentially deadly disorder and who does it affect? This disorder is called Aortic Valve Stenosis and it can affect anyone. Aortic Valve Stenosis, also known as AVS, happens when the aortic valve narrows. The narrowing keeps the valve from operating properly by not allowing the valve to fully open. With the aortic valve not working correctly, it causes extra stress on the valve. Since the heart has extra stress on it, the blood flow is often reduced. The blood that cannot make it through the aorta causes the heart to work harder in order to supply the body with the correct amount of blood that the…

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…

at fault. Mitral valve prolapse is a condition that the cause is still unknown. Scientists believe it may be hereditary and people can be born with it, but never experience any symptoms. Even though mitral valve prolapse is not usually life-threatening, however some people may require treatment and a complete change of lifestyle. Mitral valve prolapse, or MVP, is defined as a valvular heart disorder. Where one or both mitral…

Mitral Valve Stenosis Mitral valve stenosis is a narrowing of the mitral valve. This is the valve between the upper chamber (atrium) and lower chamber (ventricle) of the left side of the heart. Mitral valve stenosis is often discovered when your health care provider hears an abnormal sound (heart murmur) while listening to your heart. This condition can range from mild to severe. CAUSES This condition is caused by: • Rheumatic fever, which is a complication of strep infection. • Buildup of…

Different Effect of Mitral Valve Prolapse History of the Disease One of the most common cardiac abnormalities in the United States is Mitral Valve Prolapse, also known as MVP, which affects about 2-6% of Americans. It is a disorder of the bicuspid valve, which causes backflow of blood from the left ventricle back into the left atrium (Sims & Miracle, 2007). MVP can also be identified as click-murmur syndrome, floppy mitral valve, and Barlow syndrome (Kornusky & Cabrera, 2014). In past studies,…

Mechanical Heart valves are designed to mimic natural heart valves as closely as possible. The valve is implanted in the heart of the patient where the damaged heart valve was removed. Artificial heart valves allows for correct blood flow through the heart by opening and closing with each heartbeat (St Jude Medical, n.d.). The Medtronic mechanical heart valve contains two leaflets (Medtronic, 2011). The pressure in the heart causes the leaflets to open and close, allowing blood flow in only…

Mechanical heart valves provide their greatest benefit by replacing a fatigued natural valve with a prosthesis that was specifically engineered for the variety of patients who experience heart valve disease, thus relieving the patient of most associated conditions and improving their quality of life. However, throughout the last half century there have been many cases of structural failure and induced conditions such as thrombosis due to the materials used in these devices. Through the many case…

Every year, thousands people get heart valve replacements. There are multiple options for replacement valves that can be generalized as either mechanical or biological. One of the mechanical options from the 1970s and 1980s was the Bjork-Shiley valve, which became infamous because of the controversy surrounding its stress fracture failures. These failures resulted the death of about 400 people, causing the valve to be taken off the market. The decisions made leading to this issue must be…

Prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis without evidence of vegetation Introduction The modified Duke criteria for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) include three major and five minor criteria. One of the major criteria is evidence of structural findings on echocardiography such as an oscillating intracardiac mass, abscess or partial dehiscence of a prosthetic valve (1-2). Less common echocardiographic findings of IE include pseudoaneurysm, fistula, or valve perforation. The American…

The Edwards SAPIEN heart valve is a collapsible aortic heart valve that can be introduced into the body via a catheter-based delivery system. The valve is designed to replace a patient’s diseased aortic valve without traditional open-heart surgery and while the heart continues to beat. The valve can be implanted in patients using the fransfemoral technique meaning delivered thorough the femoral artery or trans-apical technique meaning delivered via a small incision between the ribs. Prior to…