Mitral Stenosis: Treatment

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Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis

• The mitral valve separates the left main pumping chamber of the heart (left ventricle) from left upper chamber of the heart (atrium) and lungs. The mitral valve prevents backward flow of blood. If this valve becomes narrowed over time from degeneration and calcium build up from Rheumatic heart disease, this creates high pressures on the left upper chamber of the heart which increases the pressures in the lungs and right side of the heart and heart failure. A catheter-based (nonsurgical) treatment involves balloon dilation of the mitral valve (balloon mitral valvuloplasty; BMV below).​​