1. Minimize Symptoms With Medication and Lifestyle Changes
Symptoms of mitral valve stenosis--the narrowing of your heart's mitral valve, causing an abnormal blood flow--can be minimized and relieved to some extent through a combination of medication and diet. Your doctor may prescribe diuretics to reduce the swelling in your legs and lungs. Beta blockers can be an effective way to treat an abnormal heartbeat or murmur if you experience this type of symptom. Blood thinners, also called anticoagulants, can prevent and treat blood clots that may be a "silent" symptom of mitral stenosis, yet can still be detected by your physician.
2. Consider Surgery To Repair Your Mitral Valve
It is possible to repair your mitral valve through surgery, if your condition is serious enough to warrant such an invasive treatment. In some cases, surgeons may be able to remove scarring from an area of the valve called the leaflet, or to clear obstructions that cause the narrowing. This type of surgery is called a valvotomy.
A procedure called a balloon valvulplasty can be performed to repair your mitral valve, and is less invasive because it does not involve open-heart surgery. A catheter is outfitted with a balloon-like fixture at the end and is used to open up the mitral valve passageway. Mitral stenosis that is corrected by either a valvotomy or a balloon valvulplasty may return after some time has passed.
3. Undergo Valve Replacement
If your mitral valve is damaged beyond repair, you may need replacement surgery. Heart valves can be mechanical, fashioned from animal heart valves (pigs' or cows') or from human organ donors. If you receive a metal mitral valve, you will have a higher risk of blood clots than most people with healthy hearts. You will need to take blood-thinning drugs for the remainder of your life to prevent dangerous blood clots. Talk to your doctor about the various choices available to you in terms of human vs. mechanical heart valve replacement.
