Heart Valve Problems: Mitral Insufficiency

Mitral insufficiency means your mitral valve has problems closing, letting blood leak back through the valve. Mild cases of mitral insufficiency, when a small amount of blood leaks, rarely lead to problems. But severe cases can cause damage to the ventricle and heart muscle.

Possible Causes

Damage to the heart from disease (such as rheumatic fever) or aging can cause mitral insufficiency. In some cases, mitral insufficiency may result from mitral valve prolapse.

Having mitral insufficiency doesn?t mean you need to stop being active.

Closed mitral valve with insufficiency (viewed from above).

Treating Mitral Insufficiency

For more serious cases of mitral insufficiency, medications may be prescribed. These help the heart work better. In severe cases, heart valve surgery may be needed to repair or replace the valve.