Valve still a little leaky after repair

[Ronda]

Greetings everyone. I am 4 months post-op Mitral Valve Repair for severe regurgitaion (had MVP for years prior).

While I was in the hospital, my surgeon told me that I still had a little leak but that was normal and nothing to worry about. Earlier this week I had my first echo since leaving the hospital. My cardiologist called me yesterday to tell me about the leaking he saw on the echo and that he was disappointed. He thought the surgery would correct the leakage 100%. My question is how many MV repair patients still have "mild" leakage after surgery? I thought it was common to have a little leaking, but since the cardiologist seemed so surprised I have to wonder...

Thanks,
Ronda

 

[ottagal]

Welcome to the forum, Ronda,
Although I didn't have mitral valve repair (I had AVR), my girfriend did have mitral valve repair. She had severe regurg. pre-surgery and ended up with mild regurg. post surgery. According to her, neither the cardio. nor her surgeon seemed too concerned. FWIW, it has been 4 years since her surgery and she has been stable with not problems. Hopefully, it will stay that way for you too. I would also question your cardio about his disappointment. It is a very mild leakage or a mild-mod leakage etc.?
All the best,

 

[Adrienne]

MV leakage

MV leakage

Welcome Rhonda. Immediately after my MV repair, there was no leakage, but 11 months afterwards there was a mild degree which no one was concerned about. In fact, I have heard that if an echo was done on the whole population that probably more than half would have a mild leak in a valve.

My last echo showed moderate leakage which did freak me out a bit, but we will see what it shows on the next echo.

 

[LisaD]

I have had mild to moderate leakage since my MV repair a year and a half ago. No one is worried about it now, the docs think we may have to operate again in the future, but many years down the road. I am only 37, so I just want to enjoy what I have now and will face the hurdle when I get there.

 

[Freddie]

Hi and Welcome Ronda, I had my mitral valve replaced due to severe regurgitation. I too was told that I have a mild leak and it is normal - hard to swallow I know.
The only thing you can do is to tabs on it by asking your doctor after each echo you have and get copies for your own records.

 

[Philip B]

Leakage

Leakage

During my last visit with my cardiologist, he mentioned that mild leakage of heart valves is normal. There is obviously some difference of opinion regarding this among cardio docs.

-Philip

 

[ejc61]

I had robotic MV repair for severe regurgitation one year ago. I was asympthomatic pre-op. I had no regurgitation post-op. I just took my first stress/echo with my cardiologist who is at a different hospital from the one I had surgery and tells me that I have moderate regurgitation still. I hate to say it but I'm skeptical about my current cardiologist's findings and am going back to my surgeon for consultation.