Heart Valve Problems: Mitral Valve Stenosis

Possible causes

Mitral stenosis is most often caused by rheumatic fever. This illness can lead to an inflammation that damages the heart valves. Other causes include mitral valve prolapse and heart defects from birth (congenital). Although pregnancy doesn’t cause mitral stenosis, symptoms may start during pregnancy if undiagnosed mitral stenosis is present. This is because the amount of blood the heart has to move has increased.

Treating mitral valve stenosis

If you don't have symptoms, you usually don't need treatment. If symptoms occur, your health care provider may prescribe medicines to help ease them. If the stenosis is severe, a procedure called balloon valvuloplasty can stretch the opening of the valve for short-term relief.

Heart surgery with valve replacement using either a tissue or mechanical valve is often the best long-term choice to manage this problem.