When a patient has mitral regurgitation but is not a candidate for open-heart surgery, what is a doctor to do? Thankfully, with the groundbreaking MitraClip (or mitral clip), these patients can still be treated through specialized techniques. Dr. Mustafa Ahmed discusses the procedure's history, benefits, and more with Dr. Alain Bouchard in our latest podcast.…
Mitral Annular Calcification
Mitral Annular Calcification is a complex process that occurs in the heart. This article, written by a cardiologist, explains Mitral Annular Calcification, how it’s diagnosed, treatments, risk factors, and common complications associated with the condition.
Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia
The normal heartbeat is generated just like clockwork by electric signals sent out from a natural pacemaker known as the sinus node. Normal individuals have heart rates of between 60-90 beats per minute. This is actually slower than the natural pacemaker of the heart, partly because there is the slowing influence of the nervous system…
Leaky Heart Valve – When The Mitral Valve Fails
A leaky heart valve, when the mitral valve is the valve involved is known as mitral regurgitation. The most common cause of this leaky heart valve is mitral valve prolapse and it is the most common valve related disease in the US. Other causes include an enlarged heart and coronary artery disease. See some of…
Atrial Fibrillation – Part 1 – What is it?
Atrial fibrillation, sometimes called a-fib, is the commonest cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). In contrast to the metronome-like heart rhythm that we are used to, atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregularly irregular heartbeat. If you were to check your pulse, there would be no pattern. The timing of your heartbeat would almost seem random.…
Can Medicines Help My Mitral Valve?
The mitral valve is there to stop blood flowing backwards in the left side of the heart, and so allows blood to travel the correct way, forward, to supply the body! Most of my posts to far have been about mitral valve prolapse (MVP). In mitral valve prolapse the degenerated valve may lead to leakiness,…
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 5 – How Common is it?
Before reading this, if you haven’t read the first few posts, go ahead and read them so you have a good understanding of what mitral valve prolapse is, and how the valve is affected. Mitral valve prolapse has had several names over the years, including floppy valve syndrome, click syndrome, and click murmur syndrome. Up…
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 4 – Mitral Regurgitation
By Mustafa Ahmed MD So far we have discussed what mitral valve prolapse is, and what causes it. If you have not read the previous sections yet, then I suggest you go read those first to have a basic understanding of the mitral valve. Now we will discuss one of the complications of mitral valve…
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 3 – The Dreaded ‘Flail leaflet’
Think of the mitral valve in mitral valve prolapse as a parachute. The canopy of the parachute is rounded, like a mitral valve prolapse valve (where as in a normal valve it would be a flat top). The strings that connect the canopy to the person are like the ‘chordae’ that attach the valve to…
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 2 – The Valve
By Mustafa Ahmed MD So now you understand the basics of mitral valve prolapse. When initially described as a relatively common cause of mitral valve disease in the 1950’s, mitral valve prolapse (MVP) was known as ‘floppy valve syndrome.’ The underlying process making the valve floppy is technically termed ‘myxomatous degeneration,’ which literally means jelly-like…
