How is mitral regurgitation treated?
The severity of mitral insufficiency can sometimes be reduced with medications, however the most definitive treatment involves surgical repair of the valve or replacement with a prosthetic valve. In many cases, the mitral valve can be repaired by reconstructing the native valve tissues to restore normal valvular structure and function. In fact, the mitral valve is the most commonly repaired heart valve. Experimental and clinical research has shown that repair of the mitral valve is preferable to its replacement largely because native mitral valve is an intimately associated with the structure of the left ventricle. In cases when repair of the mitral valve cannot be performed successfully, Mitral valve replacement is another option. Mitral valve replacement involves removing much of the native mitral valve tissues and replacing it with an artificial valve consisting of animal and/or manufactured components.
