Our Advanced Care Options for a Narrowed Mitral Valve
If you have mitral stenosis, you need complete care from an experienced team. That’s what you can expect from our team at St. Luke’s Heart Valve Clinic. Since 2019, we’ve been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery™ by Healthgrades®. We’re the only hospital in Missouri to achieve this in 2024, and we’re among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery due to our superior outcomes in heart valve surgery.
We’re dedicated to protecting your heart and providing early detection and treatment of mitral stenosis. We focus on finding innovative ways to help you feel better as soon as possible. Our heart valve specialists are highly regarded as leaders in minimally invasive procedures to treat concerns like mitral stenosis.
Our Mitral Stenosis Diagnostic and Treatment Options
Your provider may hear a heart murmur when listening to your chest during a physical exam. If your provider hears a murmur, they may recommend an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart). This test helps us determine if you have a leaky valve (known as mitral regurgitation) or a stenotic mitral valve, as well as how severe it is.
Our treatments for mitral valve disease include:
- Mitral valve repair or replacement (open-heart surgery to either repair a damaged mitral valve or remove it and replace it)
- Transcatheter mitral valve repair (a minimally invasive procedure that generally involves smaller incisions and faster recovery than open-heart surgery)
- Valvuloplasty (a minimally invasive procedure that involves using a balloon to open the narrowed mitral valve opening)
What Is Mitral Stenosis?
Mitral stenosis is a type of heart disease that happens when the mitral valve narrows and makes it difficult for the heart to get enough blood. The mitral valve is a small flap in your heart that controls blood flow on the left side of your heart. If your mitral valve has become thickened, it restricts blood flow through the valve, and blood backs up into the lungs. Rheumatic fever or chest radiation are common causes of mitral valve disease.
If the restriction is severe, you can develop elevated pressures in your lungs and abnormal heart rhythms. If you have severe mitral stenosis, your symptoms may include:
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath with activities or at rest
- Swelling in your feet or ankles
If you start to experience any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away.