What is the Mitral Valve?
The mitral valve is one of the two atrioventricular valves that are located inside the heart between the atria and the ventricles. On the left side of the heart is the mitral or left atrioventricular valve and on the right side the tricuspid valve is the conduit between right atrium and right ventricle. The left-sided valve has two leaflets, unlike the tricuspid which has three, that open when the heart contracts to allow blood to pass through from the left atria into the left ventricle. In the normal heart, these leaflets close and seal in between contractions so blood passage is restricted. In most cases, people will never have to think about whether they have a functioning mitral valve. However, some people may be born with a number of conditions that impair or disrupt function of the mitral valve. Alternately, they may get diseases that can affect this important conduit, and it is valuable to reflect on its importance. The human heart may beat about 3 billion times in a lifetime, w
The mitral valve (named after a Bishop’s miter) is the “inflow valve” for the main pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle. Blood flows from the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, across the open mitral valve and into the left ventricle. When the heart squeezes, the two leaflets of the mitral valve snap shut and prevent blood from backing up to the lungs. Blood is directed out of the heart to the rest of the body through another valve, the aortic valve. To find out if you’re a candidate for mitral valve repair and/or minimally invasive mitral valve repair surgery, please call 410-328-5842 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.
