My Experience with Mitral Valve Prolapse
Have you ever heard of mitral valve prolapse disease? Or wondered what it means and how it affects daily life? The mitral valve is a bicuspid valve located between the upper and lower left heart chambers; i.e., between the left atrium and the left ventricle, where the valve closes and opens allowing blood to pass from the atrium to the ventricle and not vice versa.
In this article, I will share with you my experience with mitral valve prolapse, and we will try to provide simplified and reliable information based on modern evidence, with realistic stories and practical tips to improve your quality of life.
What is the Mitral Valve?
Before clarifying my experience with mitral valve prolapse, we must first clarify that the mitral valve is the valve that separates the left atrium and the left ventricle in the heart. It allows blood flow in one direction (from the atrium to the ventricle) and prevents regurgitation when the ventricle contracts. The basic function of the mitral valve is to ensure blood flow in one direction inside the heart, and any defect in this function may lead to one of the common mitral valve diseases such as prolapse, regurgitation, or stenosis. When looking at the structure of the valve, you will find the valve leaflets, and several fibers associated with muscles to open and close the valve. Therefore, we can say that any defect in these structures may lead to the valve not closing well and thus the occurrence of regurgitation or prolapse.
What is Mitral Valve Prolapse?
Mitral valve prolapse is the twisting or relaxation of one or both of the valve leaflets and its return toward the left atrium during ventricular contraction, which may lead to a small reverse flow of blood, i.e., blood regurgitation in some cases.
In many cases, the path is normal and does not develop into severe regurgitation or noticeable complications during long follow-up years, which is what I noticed during my experience with mitral valve prolapse, especially if there are no secondary risk factors. A systematic review indicates that the prevalence rate in the general population is about 2.59% approximately, and it exists in all ages but of course it spreads more among the elderly.
Mitral Valve Prolapse Symptoms
My experience with mitral valve prolapse proved that often the condition is silent and discovered by chance when performing some examinations, but some may suffer from signs and symptoms including:
1.Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats, so it is important to know when heart palpitations are dangerous.
2.Chest pain felt as pressure or tingling (but it is different from angina pectoris).
3.Shortness of breath when making an effort or feeling fast fatigue.
4.Dizziness or fainting sometimes.
5.Mitral valve regurgitation symptoms may appear when the condition develops: such as swelling of ankles or feeling heaviness in the chest.
Causes of Mitral Valve Prolapse
The causes of infection with mitral valve prolapse are often due to immune or genetic disorders such as:
1.Myxomatous Degeneration: It is the most common cause, and it can be explained as the accumulation of a soft substance in the fibers and tissues composing the valve, so it does not become tight and strong as it was, causing prolapse of the leaflets.
2.Some types of syndromes that affect different body tissues such as: Marfan Syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, where the valve tissues are weaker.
3.Rheumatic Fever: Less common currently in countries that enjoy early treatment for throat infections; but it is still a famous cause in developing countries, which is what happened during my experience with mitral valve prolapse, and it may cause deformation of the valve.
4.Some other causes such as left ventricular dilatation due to other heart diseases making the leaflets not close strongly, and also lack of blood supply to the heart after the occurrence of myocardial infarction.
Mitral Valve Prolapse Degrees
To evaluate my experience with mitral valve prolapse, the prolapse is divided into degrees according to the severity of the leaflet prolapse, the volume of regurgitation, and the amount of the gap that allows blood regurgitation, and all that appears in the echocardiogram device:
- Simple Prolapse: Slight movement of the leaflet without noticeable regurgitation, often does not need repeated follow-up except periodic examinations.
- Moderate Prolapse: Clearer twisting with moderate mitral valve regurgitation, may need more monitoring and periodic evaluation of ventricular function and left atrium size.
- Severe Prolapse: Noticeable regurgitation causing symptoms such as shortness of breath or changes in heart chamber size or ventricular function, and may require therapeutic intervention whether medical or surgical such as mitral valve repair by minimally invasive method.
Simple Mitral Valve Prolapse
As we mentioned, simple mitral valve regurgitation symptoms may be silent or mild, and therefore do not require severe activity restrictions for those infected. They can practice their lives and daily activities normally, with periodic monitoring and awareness of development symptoms, and also performing an echocardiogram examination every 1-2 years or according to the doctor’s direction.
Mitral Valve Prolapse in Women
There are studies that indicated differences between the sexes in terms of the experience of mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve prolapse in women may be less susceptible to severe subsequent complications compared to men, because they have different leaflet thickness.
Accordingly, the appropriate timing for surgery or evaluation may differ; because their symptoms may appear atypically sometimes. Therefore, the disease requires special attention to follow up the left atrium size and ventricular function.
Periodic follow-up recommendations do not differ radically, but attention must be paid to pregnancy symptoms for those infected with mild to moderate types, and communicating with a specialized cardiologist such as Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam before pregnancy to ensure the safety of the mother and fetus.
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How to Treat Mitral Valve Prolapse
1. Necessary Examinations and Periodic Follow-up:
Echocardiography is one of the most important periodic examinations that are indispensable for evaluating the development of regurgitation and heart size and function, as well as clinical examination by listening to the heart and testing heart electricity when needed, in addition to heart imaging by X-ray or others if the doctor requests that.
2. Medical Treatment:
Many doctors prescribe Beta-blockers to relieve heart palpitations and regulate heartbeats, and diuretics may also be written for you in case of pulmonary congestion symptoms or edema.
Also, anticoagulant medications can be prescribed to prevent clots and are given only if there is an accompanying case of atrial fibrillation or flutter which has high rates of occurrence of clots and strokes.
It is recommended to take anti-infection drugs before some procedures under the supervision of the doctor, and according to modern recommendations, they can be taken only in specific cases based on the severity of regurgitation and the valve status.
3. Surgical Intervention or Catheterization:
- Valve Repair: It is the generally preferred technique because it maintains the natural valve without the need to replace it. The success rate in reference centers is close to 90-95% or more for treating mitral valve prolapse.
- Valve Replacement: When repair is not possible or regurgitation is severe, mitral valve replacement operation can be resorted to and replaced with a new mechanical or biological one. Endoscopic mitral valve replacement can be performed in many cases to reduce the wound size and accelerate recovery, which is one of the most successful ways to treat mitral valve regurgitation currently.
When Does the Doctor Resort to Performing a Surgical Operation?
Based on the guidelines of the American and European Heart Associations, there are several factors for performing surgery, as many cases may not be good for surgery or they do not need it in the first place and need names of medications to treat mitral valve regurgitation. For example:
1.Symptoms must be clear and represent severe valve regurgitation such as: persistent shortness of breath with light activity or excessive fatigue.
2.Presence of changes in left ventricular function: decrease in the percentage of blood reaching organs or expansion in the ventricle size, which portends a decline in heart function.
3.Noticing a large expansion in the left atrium or high pulmonary artery pressure.
4.Appearance of atrial fibrillation associated with valve regurgitation.
5.Sudden acute severe regurgitation (Acute Severe MR).
Best Tips for Mitral Valve Regurgitation Patients
During my experience with mitral valve prolapse, Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam described several tips for me, and by following them, symptoms can improve significantly:
1.Periodic Follow-up: Do not neglect echocardiogram appointments and periodic examinations even if you feel that things are stable; these are among the most important tips for mitral valve regurgitation patients.
2.Medication Regulation: Take prescribed medications regularly and communicate with your doctor if side effects appear.
3.Proper Nutrition: A balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains with reducing salt and unhealthy fats.
4.Physical Activity: Practice the activity allowed for you after consulting the doctor, as light to moderate sports maintain heart and vessel health.
5.Anxiety Management: In fact, fear of the disease and anxiety about it all the time may make the matter worse, so make sure to talk with the doctor if necessary to relieve anxiety.
6.Vaccinations and Preventive Examination: Make sure to get influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, because they reduce the risks of condition deterioration during infection.
Read also for more information: Can mitral valve regurgitation be cured?
Is Mitral Valve Prolapse Cured?
In simple cases (simple prolapse without noticeable regurgitation), healing often is not in the sense of the total disappearance of the prolapse, but in the sense of stabilizing the patient’s health status. For advanced cases that require surgery, the repair operation can lead to “semi-cure” in terms of the valve returning to perform its function almost like a natural valve.
Also, this is accompanied by a significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life. Full cure in the life concept depends on the individual case of each patient; some need continuous follow-up for a long period after surgery, and some may remain stable without symptoms for years.
My Experience with Mitral Valve Prolapse
During my experience with mitral valve prolapse, I noticed that there are many real cases that were cured and their condition stabilized. We will mention some of them to understand the disease and its development more.
- Story of a young patient: A young man in his late twenties felt transient palpitations and simple shortness of breath when practicing sports. After an echocardiogram, it turned out he had simple prolapse with very light regurgitation. The doctor advised him to follow up annually and modify his lifestyle. After 3 years he says: “Through my experience with mitral valve prolapse and early detection, the doctor was able to control the condition and no new symptoms appeared, but my condition stabilized completely.”
- Story of a patient needing surgery: A patient in his sixties did not feel shortness of breath or fatigue, but the Echo examination showed severe regurgitation and prominent leaflet prolapse. After evaluation, the doctors agreed on him performing periodic follow-up and performing catheter surgery if the condition deteriorated.
My experience with mitral valve prolapse and these experiences confirm that early diagnosis, regular follow-up, and appropriate treatment planning according to the case are the basis for achieving good results.
Cases Cured from Mitral Valve Prolapse
During my experience with mitral valve prolapse, I discovered that there are many cases that were cured after surgery and their health status did not deteriorate, especially those whose regurgitation was discovered early and underwent a successful repair operation and became stable without symptoms for many years.
In this context, we mention a real case of a patient in his thirties who felt simple tightness, then the examination showed moderate prolapse and he needs surgical intervention. He underwent surgery by thoracic endoscopy and returned to practicing his normal life within a few weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between mitral valve regurgitation and prolapse?
The difference between mitral valve regurgitation and prolapse is that valve prolapse means the twisting of one or more leaflets toward the left atrium during contraction. As for valve regurgitation, it is the reverse leakage of blood from the ventricle to the atrium during contraction. There may be regurgitation associated with prolapse in varying degrees; but simple prolapse often does not lead to tangible regurgitation.
Can one coexist with mitral valve prolapse?
Yes, especially in simple or mild cases that are not accompanied by symptoms or large regurgitation. By periodic follow-up and lifestyle modification, one can coexist normally for most patients, which is what happened during my experience with mitral valve prolapse.
Does simple mitral valve prolapse develop?
Fortunately, simple prolapse mostly remains stable for long years without noticeable development, but regular follow-up is important to discover any early change in the severity of regurgitation or heart size.
Does mitral valve prolapse cause death?
In simple cases, it does not increase the mortality rate compared to the normal population. As for cases of severe regurgitation or occurrence of complications, the risk may increase, but that is rare and is reduced by follow-up and appropriate treatment.
Is a mitral valve prolapse patient cured?
As we mentioned previously, “cure” here refers to controlling the prolapse and improving symptoms or successful surgical repair. After repair, the valve may return to its almost normal function, which is equivalent to “cure” from the functional side, which is the important part.
Does mitral valve prolapse cause a clot?
In the absence of complications such as atrial fibrillation or installing an artificial device, the risk is low. As for if there is atrial fibrillation, anticoagulant drugs may be recommended to reduce the risk of clots and stroke.
Does mitral valve regurgitation affect the marital relationship?
Not directly, but symptoms of shortness of breath or fatigue may reduce the patient’s ability for physical activity. By good planning and controlling symptoms as well as limiting anxiety, a healthy marital life can be maintained.
Does a mitral valve prolapse patient fast?
In mild or stable cases, fasting is often safe with maintaining drinking fluids during Iftar hours and avoiding excess exhaustion. If the patient suffers from severe regurgitation or symptoms, the doctor must be consulted before fasting to ensure their safety.
Thus, we have reviewed in this article the nature of mitral valve prolapse, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and how to follow up and treat, and my experience with mitral valve prolapse.
Also, we learned that early diagnosis, regular follow-up, lifestyle modification, and continuous communication with the cardiologist give you peace of mind and reduce development risks. Therefore, book now with Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam, Consultant of Open-Heart Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgical Intervention in Egypt.
Clinic Location: In Cairo, Nasr City: The medical tower attached to Dar Al Fouad Hospital, Nasr City – intersection of Youssef Abbas with Nasr Road – Fourth Floor – Clinic 416.
