Convenient, specialized care for a common heart valve condition

The valves in your heart keep the blood flowing in only one direction. When a heart valve isn’t working, the blood flows in the wrong direction, making your heart work harder and reducing blood flow to your body.

Mitral and aortic valve disorders are the most common valve diseases in the U.S. Some can be congenital, such as bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse, while others are degenerative and

develop with age. Other causes include aortic aneurysms, bacterial infection, rheumatic fever, chronic inflammatory diseases such as lupus and connective tissue diseases like Marfan syndrome. Some cancer treatments (radiation) can also damage the aortic and mitral valves, as well.

At first, there may be no symptoms, but as the disease progresses, symptoms that may begin to appear are:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Swelling
• Vague chest discomfort
• Decreased energy

If you have severe mitral leakage even without symptoms, it’s important to see a physician who can diagnose the problem and help determine if the valve should be watched or repaired. Medications are often enough to protect your heart in the early stages of valve disease. However, many patients eventually need to have the leaky valve repaired or replaced.

“Not every patient needs surgery, but an early diagnosis helps make the right decision together with the patient,” says Juan Pablo Umaña, MD, Chair, Division of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery at

Cleveland Clinic in Florida. “The heart compensates for the leakage early on, but if one waits too long, irreversible changes may occur. A timely operation can restore life expectancy to normal.”

Diagnosis and treatment are based on conversations with the patient, a physical examination and an echocardiogram. Mitral valve repair treats:

• Mitral valve regurgitation – commonly known as a “leaky valve”
• Mitral valve stenosis – the narrowing of a valve opening
• Mitral valve prolapse – the valve flaps are too floppy or stretchy

Most patients are able to resume their previous activities within a month after surgery with few complications. Most of these procedures can be done using a minimally invasive approach, with smaller incisions and less blood loss allowing patients to get back to their routines even more quickly.

A renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Umaña has specialized training in valve repair and sees patients at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. “If surgery is needed, options include repair and replacement of the mitral valve,” says Dr. Umaña. “The sooner we see a patient with operable disease the better, because it’s more likely we can repair the valve. And statistically speaking, those who undergo repair not only will have a better quality of life, but it will return their life expectancy to normal.”

TALK WITH AN EXPERT

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Umaña, call 954.659.5329 or visit ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/HeartSurgery to learn more.