Mitral Valve Repair

The best available surgical treatment for mitral valve prolapse is repair. Mitral valve repair offers a number of significant, life-long benefits as compared to valve replacement. These include a lower risk of mortality, a better chance of long-term survival and more freedom from reoperation:

Mitral Valve Surgery: Repair vs. Replacement

Repair	Replace	Potential Benefit
		Reduced risk of surgical complications
		Higher long-term survival
		Improves function and strength of the heart
		More freedom from re-operation
		No need for life-long blood thinner medication
		Shorter hospital stay

Approach

The most common way to repair a valve through surgery is with sternotomy – cutting through the breastbone and opening the ribs. Cutting through the body’s natural protective structure for the heart can cause significant trauma, prolong healing time and increase your risk for serious complications and even mortality. Moreover, an open approach doesn’t always provide the visualization and access necessary to complete a repair. In fact, the majority of patients who undergo sternotomy receive an artificial valve.8

Learn More

Read about what is potentially the most effective, least invasive approach to mitral valve repair surgery – da Vinci ® Mitral Valve Repair.