eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Cardiovascular

Mitral Regurgitation: Follow-up

Author: Daniel DiSandro, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Drexel University
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 8, 2009

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

  • The definitive treatment of mitral regurgitation remains surgery.
    • The risk-benefit ratio must be examined carefully with each individual situation prior to a decision to replace the valve.
    • The 2 primary surgeries are mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair.
    • If treated early enough, mitral valve repair is the optimal choice (lower risk of infectious endocarditis and better postoperative left ventricular function).
    • Repair usually is available only to those whose condition has a nonrheumatic, noninfectious, and nonischemic cause; therefore, candidates for mitral valve repair are few.
    • Valve replacement should not be undertaken in asymptomatic patients.
    • Early recognition of even minimal symptoms is crucial in order to attempt to preserve as much left ventricular function as possible.
    • Chordal transection during replacement surgery results in some impairment of left ventricle function; thus, the more left ventricular function prior to surgery, the better the outcome.

Complications

  • Patients with acute mitral regurgitation secondary to infarction emergently requiring valve replacement have a 60-80% mortality rate if they present with severe pulmonary edema.
  • Major complications from chronic regurgitation include the following:
    • Severe LV dysfunction
    • Chronic congestive heart failure
    • Atrial fibrillation and its complications (eg, left atrial thrombus with embolization and stroke)
    • Sudden death, ruptured chordae tendineae, and endocarditis remain infrequent complications of regurgitation secondary to long-standing mitral prolapse.

Prognosis

  • The extent of left ventricular dysfunction from underlying ischemia is the primary prognostic determinant in those with regurgitation secondary to coronary artery disease (CAD).

Patient Education

  • Patients must be educated concerning the warning signs and symptoms (eg, congestive heart failure, chest pain) and should be advised to see their physician early in the course of the disorder, before symptoms progress.
  • For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Heart Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Mitral Valve Prolapse.
 


More on Mitral Regurgitation

Overview: Mitral Regurgitation
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Mitral Regurgitation
Treatment & Medication: Mitral Regurgitation
Follow-up: Mitral Regurgitation
Multimedia: Mitral Regurgitation
References
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References

  1. [Guideline] Bonow RO, Carabello BA, Chatterjee K, de Leon AC Jr, Faxon DP, Freed MD, et al. 2008 focused update incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2006 guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to revise the 1998 guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease). Endorsed by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. J Am Coll Cardiol. Sep 23 2008;52(13):e1-142. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  2. Borer JS, Bonow RO. Contemporary approach to aortic and mitral regurgitation. Circulation. Nov 18 2003;108(20):2432-8. [Medline].

  3. Carabello BA. Management of valvular regurgitation. Curr Opin Cardiol. Mar 1995;10(2):124-7. [Medline].

  4. Carabello BA. Mitral valve disease. Curr Probl Cardiol. Jul 1993;18(7):423-78. [Medline].

  5. Fenster MS, Feldman MD. Mitral regurgitation: an overview. Curr Probl Cardiol. Apr 1995;20(4):193-280. [Medline].

  6. Filsoufi F, Salzberg SP, Adams DH. Current management of ischemic mitral regurgitation. Mt Sinai J Med. Mar 2005;72(2):105-15. [Medline].

  7. Gaasch WH, Eisenhauer AC. The management of mitral valve disease. Curr Opin Cardiol. Mar 1996;11(2):114-9. [Medline].

  8. Schon HR. Medical treatment of chronic valvular regurgitation. J Heart Valve Dis. Oct 1995;4 Suppl 2:S170-4. [Medline].

  9. Wisenbaugh T. Mitral valve disease. Curr Opin Cardiol. Mar 1994;9(2):146-51. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

mitral regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse, MVP, MVP syndrome, acute mitral regurgitation, chronic compensated mitral regurgitation, chronic decompensated mitral regurgitation, myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, acute pulmonary edema, dyspnea, left ventricular hypertrophy, increased left atrial pressure, pulmonary congestion, acquired mitral valve disease, coronary artery disease, CAD, orthostatic hypotension, left ventricular failure

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Daniel DiSandro, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Drexel University
Daniel DiSandro, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Robert M McNamara, MD, FAAEM, Chair and Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine
Robert M McNamara, MD, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Medical Association, Pennsylvania Medical Society, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Paul Blackburn, DO, FACOEP, FACEP, Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Maricopa Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona
Paul Blackburn, DO, FACOEP, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, and Arizona Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

David FM Brown, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate-Chief, Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
David FM Brown, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Schering  Honoraria Speaking and teaching

 
 
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