Mitral valve repair a 12-year-old girl with rheumatic mitral stenosis. The development of the heart-lung machine in the 1950s paved the way for "replacement" of the mitral valve with an artificial valve in the 1960s. For decades after, mitral valve replacement was the only surgical option for patients with a severely diseased mitral valve. However, there are some significant downsides to a prosthetic mitral valve. Infection of the valve can occur, which is dangerous and difficult to treat. Patients with mechanical heart valves are required to take blood thinners for the rest of their lives, which presents a risk of bleeding complications. The
Mitral valve away from the free margin. This disposition has important effects on systolic stress distribution physiology The mitral annulus is a fibrous ring that is attached to the mitral valve leaflets. Unlike prosthetic valves, it is not continuous. The mitral annulus is saddle shaped and changes in shape throughout the cardiac cycle. The annulus contracts and reduces its surface area during systole to help provide complete closure of the leaflets. Expansion of the annulus can result in leaftlets that do not join soundly together, leading to functional mitral regurgitation. The normal diameter of the mitral annulus is , and the circumference