Is a slightly leaking heart valve serious?

A leaky valve doesn’t close the way it should, allowing some blood to flow backward into the left atrium. If left untreated, a leaky valve could lead to heart failure. Treatment of mitral valve regurgitation depends on how severe your condition is, whether it’s getting worse and whether you have symptoms.

What is a small leaky valve in the heart?

But some people’s heart valves don’t close tightly enough. This can allow blood to leak backward as the valves are closing, or it can allow blood to squeeze past closed valves. This condition is called valve regurgitation, valve insufficiency, or a “leaky heart valve.”

Can a leaking heart valve heal itself?

Unfortunately, heart valves do not tend to heal themselves. It is true that some infants born with heart murmurs will eventually grow out of the murmur as the heart matures.

How do you fix a leaky heart valve?

Some of the ways your doctor can fix a damaged valve include: Annuloplasty: A special ring is put around the valve to make it close right. MitraClip: A small cut is made in your groin, and the clip is pushed up to your heart through a thin tube. It clips a small area of the flaps together to limit the leak.

Should I worry about a leaky heart valve?

With a leaky valve, sometimes not enough blood gets pumped to the rest of the body. Heart valve leakage/regurgitation can force the heart to work harder to do its job. The condition can lead to heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest, and death.

What is the life expectancy of a person with a leaky heart valve?

Long-Term Survival For patients approximately 40 years old at the time of surgery, the life expectancy was reduced by 20 years compared to that of general population. This data suggests that a 42-year-old patient undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) with a tissue valve is expected to live to 58 years of age.

Can you have more than one leaky heart valve?

But, when you combine all three valves leaking or acting up somehow, then the patients may end up with symptoms and need surgery a little sooner than they may have otherwise with a single valve problem.

Is a leaky heart valve considered congestive heart failure?

Symptoms of a Leaky Heart Valve If the heart valve leak is severe, it may impair the forward flow of blood. This can cause symptoms of congestive heart failure, which include: Shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when lying flat.

Can you live a normal life with heart valve disease?

While severe heart valve disease is fatal, most types of valvular disorders can be treated safely and effectively. For mitral valve regurgitation, a mitral valve repair surgery will bring the patient back to a “near normal” or “normal” life expectancy.

Can a leaky heart valve cause a stroke?

Heart valve disease can cause many complications, including: Heart failure. Stroke. Blood clots.

What can worsen a leaky heart valve?

Several factors can increase your risk of mitral valve regurgitation, including: A history of mitral valve prolapse or mitral valve stenosis. A heart attack. Heart disease. Use of certain medications. Infections such as endocarditis or rheumatic fever. Congenital heart disease. Age.

When to worry about a leaky heart valve?

When to worry about a leaky heart valve. People with diabetes mellitus or with damaged immune systems due to steroids, infection or chemotherapy are at a higher risk for thrush. Dry mouth, a common complication after head and neck cancer, predisposes one to thrush also.

How do you replace a leaky heart valve?

There are two ways to treat leaky heart valves, first is repairing of affected valve and second is valve replacement. If the problem is in a very initial stage then repair approach is undertaken by the doctor.

What should I know about a leaky heart valve?

Also called regurgitation, incompetence, or “leaky valve,” this occurs when a valve does not close tightly. If the valves do not seal, some blood will leak backwards across the valve. As the leak worsens, the heart has to work harder to make up for the leaky valve, and less blood may flow to the rest of the body.