What is mitral insufficiency?
Mitral insufficiency is a disorder of this heart valve that does not close properly, resulting in a backflow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium. It is the most common heart valve disorder.
Symptoms of mitral regurgitation
Many times there are no symptoms, and when symptoms do appear, they appear gradually:
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Cough
- Dizziness
- Sensation of rapid heart rate
- Shortness of breath that is accentuated by physical activity or lying down
- Heavy urination during the night
In some cases, symptoms come on suddenly, due to a heart problem such as a heart attack, rupture of the valve strings, or valve infection.
Causes of mitral insufficiency
Heart disease and vascular accidents can cause damage to the heart valves. These are some of the risk factors for mitral regurgitation:
- Coronary artery disease
- High blood pressure
- Mitral valve displacement
- Rare diseases such as syphilis or Marfan’s syndrome
- Rheumatic heart disease
- Swelling of the heart
Treatment of mitral insufficiency
It is characterized by backflow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium during systole. Mitral insufficiency surgery aims to repair the mitral valve.