Heart Valve Disease

The mitral valve is a complex structure that controls blood flow through the left side of the heart. When open, the mitral valve allows blood to flow into the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle. When the left ventricle contracts to push blood through the body, the mitral valve closes to prevent blood from flowing back toward the lungs.

Sometimes the mitral valve is abnormal from birth or becomes damaged by infection. More often, mitral valve structures become damaged with age or from coronary artery disease.

Whatever the cause, an abnormal or damaged mitral valve cannot completely seal the heart’s left ventricle. With an incomplete seal, blood can escape the left ventricle and flow backwards through the mitral valve. This conflicting force can make the heart work harder, leading to further mitral valve damage and other potential complications such as congestive heart failure.

Surgical Mitral Valve Repair

Surgical repair involves delicate reconstruction of native valve tissues in order to restore proper function. The most common approach to repair requires the surgeon to saw open the breastbone and spread the ribs to gain direct access to the heart.

Cutting the sternum and opening the rib cage — the body’s natural protective structure for the heart — can prolong healing time, increase risk of infection, serious complications and even mortality.

da Vinci® MVR: A Less Invasive Procedure

If your doctor recommends surgical repair, you may be a candidate for a new, less invasive surgical procedure called da Vinci Mitral Valve Repair (da Vinci MVR). This procedure uses a state-of-the-art surgical system designed to help your surgeon see vital anatomical structures more clearly and to perform a more precise operation.

Mitral Valve Treatment Options

The treatment options available to a person with mitral valve disease depend on the severity of the condition. Some patients may not require any intervention, others may only need prescribed medications. Others will require surgery; in the past, faulty mitral valves were replaced with artificial valves. This required patients to take blood-thinning agents for the rest of their lives and to make significant changes to their active lifestyles.

At the Main Line Health Heart Center, our cutting edge surgeons use the latest techniques and technology, including robotics, to repair the heart valve instead of replacing it more than 90 percent of the time. Mitral valve repair involves the surgeon reconstructing your valve using your own tissue. To further ease recovery, the procedure is done without the traditional open chest approach by making a small incision under the right breast, which offers a direct view of the mitral valve. The benefits of a mitral repair also last longer than those of a mitral valve replacement.

Dr. Scott Goldman has trained other surgeons from across the country using this technique.

---

Some content on this page was provided by Intuitive Surgical. For more information, visit www.intusurg.com.

Click here for the patient brochure.