Mitral valve repair surgery is much more technically demanding and may involve higher risk. Occasionally, the mitral valve is abnormal from birth (congenital). More often the mitral valve becomes abnormal with age (degenerative) or as a result of rheumatic fever. In rare instances the mitral valve can be destroyed by infection or a bacterial endocarditis. Mitral regurgitation may also occur as a result of ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) or non-ischemic heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy). In 1923 Dr. Elliott Cutler of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital performed the world’s first successful heart valve surgery – a mitral valve "repair". The patient was
Mitral valve replacement occurred during the period 2014 -2017. After the surgery the person is taken to a post-operative intensive care unit for monitoring. A respirator may be required for the first few hours or days after surgery. After a day, the patient should be able to sit up in bed. After two days, the patient may be taken out of the intensive care unit. Patients are usually discharged after about seven to ten days. If the mitral valve replacement is successful, patients can expect to return to their regular condition or even better. Patients who have biological valve are prescribed blood thinners