Commercial Use of MVR What Have We Learned and What Do We Need to Know? ∗

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is believed to be the most common left-sided valvular heart lesion in the United States. The incidence of MR is expected to increase in the future due to the aging of our population as well as the continued influence of inflammatory comorbid conditions. Left untreated, severe MR is associated with very poor outcomes due to the development of left ventricular failure, pulmonary hypertension, and atrial fibrillation. The current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines for Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease (1) emphasize 2 distinct MR types: primary (degenerative) and secondary (functional). These guidelines emphasize that not only do they differ dramatically as to their etiologies, but, importantly, as to their treatments. For primary or degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR), the best definitive therapy is surgical mitral valve repair (MVR). When performed by an experienced mitral valve surgeon in an experienced surgery center, MVR is curative, maintaining or restoring left ventricular function and providing improvement in both longevity and quality of life.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research