Mitral Valve Repair (MVr)
Our physicians perform 98% of Mitral Valve Repairs using Robot Assist with the da Vinci ®, regardless of the complexity of the valve repair needed.
The Mitral Valve is located in-between two chambers of the heart, the left atrium and the left ventricle. Blood from the lungs flows into these chambers and the Mitral Valve helps make sure blood keeps moving through the heart after passing through these pumping chambers. Sometimes surgery is needed on the Mitral Valve if:
- The Mitral Valve gets hardened/stiff which prevents blood from moving forward (Mitral Valve Stenosis)
- The Mitral Valve is too loose which may cause blood to flow backwards, or a “leaky valve” (Mitral Valve Prolapse or Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease, causing Mitral Valve Regurgitation)
These conditions are known as myxomatous valve diseases and usually need to be treated surgically with either Mitral Valve Repair or Replacement.
Mitral Valve Repair
Mitral Valve Repair is more common for patients experiencing more minor cases of Mitral Valve Regurgitation or Stenosis. Most patients that experience some sort of Mitral Valve Disease get treated with minimally invasive Mitral Valve Repair. Over 80% of patients who suffer from Mitral Valve Disease and need surgery get a repair, and 100% of patients in 2015 who needed Mitral Valve Repair were treated with a minimally invasive procedure or robotic-assistance.
With robotic-assistance, the incision size is only about 1 inch versus open surgery which can have a 13 inch incision. Additionally, hospital stay is about 3 days with a 2 week full recovery time frame. Open surgery may up to three times the recovery time. Minimally invasive options are the ideal choice for many patients and Dr. Bethencourt is a leader in the field of robotic cardiac surgery.
Mitral Valve Replacement
Mitral Valve Replacement is for more serious cases of Mitral Valve Disease where the whole valve needs to be replaced by a mechanical or prosthetic valve. This is less common and only accounts for about 20% of all Mitral Valve surgeries. Since full replacement is necessary, an open surgery is more common than with Mitral Valve Repair.
Results will vary more with replacement surgery, depending on the severity of the case.
Mitral valve surgery is a common procedure that is used to repair or replace a valve in the heart. This surgery is considered to be common and not that invasive. During the surgery which can last from a couple of hours up to four or five hours, the damaged heart valve will be replaced or repaired. This allows the heart to work more effectively.