Mitral valve stenosis Mitral valve stenosis Mitral stenosis is a valvular heart disease characterized by the narrowing of the orifice of the mitral valve of the heart. Signs and symptoms of mitral stenosis include the following: Fatigue and weakness increase with exercise and pregnancy. The natural history of mitral stenosis secondary to rheumatic fever (the most common cause) is an asymptomatic latent phase following the initial episode of rheumatic fever. This latent period lasts an average of 16.3 ± 5.2 years. Once symptoms of mitral stenosis begin to develop, progression to severe disability takes 9.2 ± 4.3 years. In individuals having been offered
Mitral valve stenosis individuals with a crisp opening snap, score < 8, and no calcium in the commissures. Treatment also focuses on concomitant conditions often seen in mitral stenosis: Mitral valvuloplasty is a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure to correct an uncomplicated mitral stenosis by dilating the valve using a balloon. Under local anaesthetic, a catheter with a special balloon is passed from the right femoral vein, up the inferior vena cava and into the right atrium. The interatrial septum is punctured and the catheter passed into the left atrium using a "trans-septal technique." The balloon is sub-divided into 3 segments and is dilated