Mitral Valve Replacement

Mitral valve replacement is a procedure in which the diseased mitral valve of a patient's heart is replaced with either a mechanical valve or a tissue, or bioprosthetic, valve. The valve may need to be replaced because it has become leaky, a condition called mitral valve regurgitation, or narrowed so that it no longer opens properly, a condition called mitral valve stenosis, with causes of mitral valve disease including infection, calcification and inherited collagen disease. Current approaches to mitral valve replacement include traditional open heart surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery.