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Failed Mitral Plasty
Almost 4 months ago, I had a Mitral plasty. It failed. Why? The surgeon did not give a straight answer and blamed it on vague elements. So, looks like I have to go for the valve replacement. But this means I have go through the torture and the nightmare of operation and the subsequent recovery, one more time! Something that I really really don't want to do!
Question: What'll happen if I don't do anything? Can I continue living with the mitral regurgitation? What could be the consequences?
Thank you for your input.
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No idea, but definitely do YOUR OWN research thoroughly bot just via Google but use GOOGLE SCHOLAR, specifically. Hope this helps?
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2 ReactionsI AM 86 YEARS OLD AND ALSO HAVE MITRAL LEAKAGE. MY DR SAYS AS LONG AS I AM FUNCTIONING AT MY USUSAL LEVEL LETS WAIT AND SEE. THAT IS OK BY ME. IF SURGERY SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED AT A LATER DATE I WOULD DEFINATELY GET A SEND OR EVEN A THRID OPIION.
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1 ReactionThe answer to your question depends on certain factors:
a. Your overall health;
b. Your will to live longer;
c. Your tolerance to fear, anxiety, discomfort, etc;
d. Your faith in the surgical team; and
e, Your understanding of, and confidence in, the procedure and its anticipated outcome.
If you would address these for me, I'll try to answer as best I can. Note that I am not a qualified medical expert in anything. I'm just an interested reader who has a heart condition for which I have done a lot of research.
A mitral valve that is weak and allowing retrograde flow is not going to get better over time. It will continue to get worse, and so will your chances of survival. This may take weeks, months, or years, but we can only guess as non-experts who don't know your health history. A weak mitral valve that allows retrograde flow will eventually result in two possible outcomes, none of them absolutely certainties: atrial enlargement and remodeling of the substrate, and atrial fibrillation (often happens with mitral valve prolapse and deterioration of that valve function). If it were me, and none of those is currently present, I would want the valve corrected before they do happen. Just my opinion....about me.
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1 ReactionHi @ardavang, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Looking at a valve replacement after one procedure already did not work sounds scary. I think I would be asking the same question, “do I really need to be doing this?” You have found a good place to find others dealing with leaky mitral valves.
You may find Mayo Clinic’s summary of mitral valve repair and replacement helpful https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mitral-valve-repair-mitral-valve-replacement/about/pac-20384958
I also searched for mitral valve from the Heart & Blood Health support group page where others have discussed repair and replacement: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/heart-blood-vessel-conditions/?search=Mitral%20valve&index=discussions
Here is a couple articles that explain what happens if a leakage gets worse and nothing is done:
-The American Heart Association: “When mitral valve prolapse is severe enough to cause significant valve leakage, called “regurgitation,” it can lead to serious complications such as heart attack and stroke. This happens because when the valve leaks, it can cause the atrium to enlarge. An enlarged atrium may lead to heart rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation, which may cause blood clots to form. When clots travel from the heart to the arteries or the brain, it can lead to a stroke or heart attack.” https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/heart-valve-problems-and-causes/problem-mitral-valve-prolapse
- Healthline: “Without effective treatment, mitral valve disease can force the heart to work harder to pump blood out to the body, raising the risk of an irregular, rapid heartbeat, as well as heart failure.“ https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/leaking-heart-valve-life-expectancy
It may help others know how to comment if you are willing to share more about your situation. What brought you to the decision to have your initial procedure, were you having symptoms? Do you have other health challenges?