Heart Valve Surgery
Can Help You Regain Vigor

Did you ever wonder what causes the "lub-DUB, lub-DUB" sound of your heartbeat? That is the sound of your heart's four valves opening and closing. As the valves open, blood flows from the upper-right chamber of the heart to the lower one and into the lungs, and from the upper-left chamber to the lower one and into the body.

Mitral Valve Regurgitation Normally, the valves shut tight after the blood flows through, but sometimes they do not. Certain conditions, including prolapse (which occurs when extra tissue on the valve flaps bulges backwards), congenital heart defects or cardiovascular disease may damage the valves, causing them to close improperly. The mitral valve, located between the upper- and lower-left chambers of the heart, is particularly susceptible to problems because the left side of the heart works harder than the right to pump blood throughout the body. When the mitral valve does not close all the way, a small amount of blood might leak backward into the upper-left chamber, a condition known as regurgitation. Mitral valve regurgitation can cause problems for some people, including shortness of breath, fatigue or palpitations, because the heart is less able to move oxygenated blood throughout the body.

Surgeons at Manatee Memorial Hospital can perform delicate procedures to correct mitral valve regurgitation. By making an incision through the breastbone, they can access the heart and repair the valve to create a tighter seal that still enables blood flow. These procedures may require a three- to five-day hospital stay.

Alessandro Golino, MD Manatee Cardiac Surgery 623 39th St. West Suite 2 Bradenton, FL 34205 941-744-2640

Option for Many People
According to cardiothoracic surgeon Alessandro Golino, MD, anyone can have a mitral valve procedure, as long as he or she is healthy enough to withstand surgery. "My oldest patient was a woman in her mid-80s who recovered very well," he says. "After a few weeks, patients typically resume normal activities and experience much less shortness of breath and fatigue, with renewed energy and vigor."

If you have frequent shortness of breath or lightheadedness and have been told you have a heart murmur -- a telltale sign of blood flowing backward in the heart -- talk with your doctor about heart valve surgery.

Learn about Heart Valve Issues
For more information on heart valve problems, please visit www.manateememorial.com and click on Health Information in the left column. Click on the letter H at the top of the next page, where it says Health Encyclopedia. Then scroll down and click on Heart Valve Problems, Diagnosing.

206 Second Street East, Bradenton, FL 34208 941-746-5111 FAX: 941-745-6862