If you’ve been diagnosed with heart valve disease, or know someone who has, you’ve probably heard a lot talked about the heart valve flaps. Well, what exactly are heart valve flaps? What do they do?
Heart valve flaps are also referred to as heart valve leaflets. The heart valve flaps are made up of tissue, and they operate like doors. They open and close to allow blood flow through the heart in one direction. When functioning properly, these flaps close tightly. The mitral valve has two flaps and the aortic valve has three valve flaps.
When people experience heart valve problems, the flaps are often to blame. If the flaps no longer close tightly, a patient has a good chance of developing heart valve disease. Depending on what’s happening to the flaps and valve, the person can be experiencing a different type of heart valve disease.
For the mitral valve, there are three different ways for the flaps to fail at doing their job. Mitral valve regurgitation/insufficiency is when the flaps do not close tightly, so blood leaks back into the left atrium of the heart. In mitral valve stenosis, the flaps have thickened or stiffened and may even fuse together. Because of this, there is a narrowing of the valve or a blockage. Lastly, mitral valve prolapse is when both of the valve’s flaps are enlarged or bulging, which keeps them from closing evenly.
With the aortic valve, aortic valve regurgitation occurs then the flaps no longer close properly and blood flows back into the left ventricle of the heart. Aortic valve stenosis is when the flaps have thickened or stiffened and potentially fuse together, which narrows the valve.
If you’re having a problem with the flaps in your mitral valve or aortic valve, you may be a good candidate for mitral valve surgery or mini-AVR. If you’ve been looking for a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Peter Mikhail specializes in mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR. He is based in New Port Richey, Florida. To learn more click the Mitral Valve Surgery or Mini-AVR pages. To book a consult, click here or call 727-312-4844.
