What is mitral valve stenosis?

Question

How do you tell the severity of mitral valve stenosis?

Answer 1

Narrowing: This is a narrowing of the valve opening usually caused by rheumatic fever. It eventually leads to respiratory symptoms and heart failure. Fortunately it can be successfully treated with surgery.

Answer 2

Mitral valve: The mitral valve has to open properly to let blood flow into the left ventricle from the atrium. If it doesn't, we call this stenosis. It has to close to keep the blood flowing toward the body, if it doesn't we call this regurgitation or insufficiency. Either or both problems can exist with the valve if its abnormal. Insufficiency is more common.

Answer 3

Depends: This depends on how severe the stenosis is. It is important to see a cardiologist and continue to watch this condition closely as it changes over time, and you may need surgery at some point in time.

Answer 4

Stethoscope & echo: Mitral stenosis can be diagnosed by a characteristic murmur heard with a stethoscope. This can be confirmed by an echocardiogram (an ultrasound exam) which can help assess the severity of the narrowing of the valve.

Answer 5

Echocardiogram: If a physician hears a specific heart sound, he/ she can order an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) which will look at the valves and can detect the mitral stenosis.

Answer 6

Avoid rheumatic feve: Avoiding rheumatic fever, avoids rheumatic heart disease which causes mitral stenosis. This can be accomplished by treating strep throat with penicillin.

Answer 7

Antibiotics: The majority of mitral stenosis is a result of rheumatic fever-caused by group a strep infection like strep throat. Treating the strep infection can prevent rheumatic fever. If rf occurs then long term (yrs) of low dose penicillin is required to prevent recurrence. The patient may also require long term steroids.

Answer 8

If severe, surgery: True, classical mitral stenosis is caused by rheumatic fever. Some types can be very aggressive causing compromised cardiac output & symptoms of marked shortness of breath & fatigue. There are no medical interventions that treat mitral stenosis. This leaves, when the time is appropriate, surgical repair or replacement. Balloon based interventions have not proven to be satisfactorily effective.

Answer 9

Surgery: If you have symptomatic mitral stenosis, you need a valvuloplasty (through a catheter) or surgical commissurotomy or valve replacement depending on your age and the condition of your valve.

Answer 10

Depends: This depends on how severe the stenosis is. It is important to see a cardiologist and continue to watch this condition closely as it changes over time, and you may need surgery at some point in time.

Answer 11

It depends: Mitral stenosis is a disease of the mitral valve which doesn't let the valve open enough. It is more common in the us to see the valve leak. The issue is how blocked is the valve. If the mv is too tight then pressure builds up in the lungs and the lungs get sick with pulmonary hypertension. The usual treatment would be a valve replacement though some can be repaired.

What is mitral valve stenosis?

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