Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation
Mitral valve stenosis occurs when the mitral valve in your heart narrows, restricting blood flow into the main pumping chamber. Your mitral valve may also leak, causing blood to flow back through the valve each time the left ventricle contracts. This condition is called mitral valve regurgitation.
We determine when a mitral valve malfunction could lead to heart strain and eventual failure, and when it does not pose a danger. If you need treatment, our doctors offer a range of options to protect your health, including minimally invasive approaches.
We provide mitral valve care through our Valvular Heart Disease Clinic and Interventional Cardiology Clinic.
WHAT WE OFFER YOU FOR MITRAL STENOSIS AND REGURGITATION
- Nationally recognized expertise in complex mitral valve care, with unique surgical techniques and expertise in non-surgical treatments.
- 3-D imaging and sophisticated software to determine the precise nature of your valve malfunction.
- Team-based planning with skilled surgeons and interventional cardiologists who work together to create an individualized treatment plan tailored to your needs.
- Advanced treatment options, including surgical valve repair, knot replacement, and non-surgical balloon valvuloplasty or MitraClip® treatments for people for whom surgery is not an option.
- Comprehensive support to empower you in self-care, including diet and exercise recommendations to treat or prevent risk factors for mitral regurgitation.
- Active clinical research to advance minimally invasive treatments.
INTERESTED IN AN ONLINE SECOND OPINION?
The Stanford Medicine Online Second Opinion program offers you easy access to our world-class doctors. It’s all done remotely, and you don’t have to visit our hospital or one of our clinics for this service. You don’t even need to leave home!
Visit our online second opinion page to learn more.
Treatment for Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation
Few programs match our range of established approaches and clinical trials for mitral valve treatment. We start with a thorough evaluation that considers your whole health before recommending the safest, longest-lasting treatment options for your diagnosis.
Instead of just sharing files electronically, our doctors and imaging specialists take the time to meet face-to-face and discuss your results. Our collaborative approach ensures we pinpoint and understand the problem, so we can recommend the best care for you.
Monitoring and Medications
Some valve malfunciton do not pose a threat to your health, so we may suggest careful, regular monitoring. While no medications can fix heart valves, we may recommend drugs to:
· Keep a regular heart rate
· Prevent blood clots
· Avoid valve infection
Surgical Repair and Replacement
Valve surgery still offers the safest, most effective, and longest lasting fix for many people. Because of the benefits, we prefer to surgically repair your valve and can often do so with a minimally invasive approach.
When we need to replace a diseased or damaged valve, we choose from the latest mechanical and biological implants. Specific repairs include:
- Annuloplasty: During this minimally invasive surgery for regurgitation, your doctor places a ring to tighten the loose valve.
- A Variety of Repair Techniques: Doctors use open-heart surgery to cut away loose leaflet, repair torn cords in addition to annuloplasty.
Our mitral valve team works closely with our Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Clinic to provide any additional care you may need.
Repair Without Surgery
Small tubes called catheters allow our doctors to safely access your heart through the leg vein or the leg artery . These interventional procedures may help if you cannot undergo surgery for regurgitation or if the stenosis is due to rheumatic fever. Procedures include:
- Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR): Doctors insert a device called the MitraClip into your valve to relieve the most common type of regurgitation.
- Balloon valvuloplasty: Doctors thread a balloon into the valve and inflate it, opening narrowed valves. This procedure is also called valvuloplasty.
Clinical Trials
Our surgeons and interventional cardiologists work together to explore new and promising nonsurgical, catheter-based treatments. Clinical trials include:
- Study of valve replacement for age-related narrowing
- COAPT trial of MitraClip repair for functional mitral regurgitation
Frequently Asked Questions
We participate in a wide range of insurance plans. View the list of insurance plans accepted by Stanford Health Care
Have insurance or pre-authorization questions? The Patient Financial Clearance team is available Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., to answer your questions. Please call 650-724-4445 or 1-877-291-7335 (toll free).
When choosing a doctor, it is important to consider the doctor’s clinical training, experience, and expertise in a specialized area that matches your health care needs.
You can find the right Stanford doctor for you by using our doctor directory and filtering the results based on a medical category, specialty, or doctor’s last name. View a list of Interventional Cardiology doctors
We offer a number of support services at the Heart and Vascular Center, including a Lifestyle Modification program, support groups, integrative medicine, nutrition services, a health library, and a variety of classes and events. Learn more about our support services
You can call the Interventional Cardiology clinic directly to schedule an appointment with a Stanford Health Care doctor. Call 650-725-2621 to make an appointment.
We constantly search for better ways to protect your heart and blood vessels. The following are some examples of our ongoing clinical innovation.
- Using the radial artery: Programs like ours traditionally reach the heart through an artery in the groin. We were among the first to use the wrist’s radial artery, for greater comfort, less bleeding, and quicker recovery. Many people undergoing angioplasty can safely go home the same day.
- Improving stent treatment: We helped develop and quickly adopted specialized cardiac catheterization testing to measure the pressure and flow of blood and see inside clogged arteries to precisely place stents. We offer the first stent that dissolves after opening your artery, with no metal used or left in your body.
- Combining angioplasty with bypass: Before, blocked arteries often required open-heart surgery when angioplasty was not possible. Our hybrid coronary revascularization provides a new alternative, stenting some arteries and bypassing others. We do not open your chest or stop your heart.
- Advancing valve treatment: We were the first hospital in Northern California to perform transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We also have extensive experience with transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR). We provide options for people who cannot undergo surgery, with the potential to expand these treatments.
- Lowering stroke risk: We were the first center in Northern California to offer the WATCHMAN™ device once it gained FDA approval. We use it for left atrial appendage closure, reducing stroke risk for atrial fibrillation. We plan to study other stroke-reducing devices as they become available.
Yes, Stanford Health Care offers financial assistance for patients who are uninsured or underinsured. Meet with one of our financial counselors to find the best approach to paying for your health care. Financial counselors are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Learn more about financial assistance services
We strive to see new patients within one to two weeks.
Each of our doctors is scheduled to see patients only one day a week in the clinic. Other time obligations include performing procedures, routine patient management, and research and academic commitments.
Managing treatment for heart disease is a highly personalized process. Our care team guides you every step of the way. If your medical records have not yet been received by our office, one of our staff will advise you on how to obtain them, including:
- A complete list of medications and allergies
- Laboratory work within the last year
- Echocardiogram and/or stress test (report and CD)
- Open heart surgery report
Managing treatment for heart disease is a highly personalized process. Our care team guides you every step of the way. If your medical records have not yet been received by our office, one of our staff will advise you on obtaining them, including:
- A complete list of medications and allergies
- Laboratory work within the last year
- Echocardigram and/or stress test (report and CD)
- Open heart surgery report
Palo Alto Location
The Interventional Cardiology Clinic is located at the following address. Self-parking options are available for a fee. For more information, please see:
Heart and Vascular Center - Heart Clinic 1
300 Pasteur Drive
3rd Floor, Room A31
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-2621
Please plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time due to construction near the main hospital campus. This will allow you plenty of time to park, locate your clinic, and complete any additional paperwork.
Please print, fill out, and return the Medical Record Release Form to your new patient coordinator. The medical release form is an authorization form for external facilities to release medical records to Stanford Health Care.
Please call our clinic receptionists at 650-725-2621. They are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to help you with rescheduling or canceling your appointment.
Always feel free to bring someone with you to your appointments. A family member or friend can help ask questions, remember the information your care team gives you, and provide support.
By California state law, you must let your care team know that you would like to record your conversation if you would like help remembering your discussion with your care team.
Write down your questions before your appointment and rank them in order of importance, beginning with the most important ones. If there is not enough time to have all of your questions answered during your appointment, ask your doctor who you can speak with to get your remaining questions answered.
You have multiple options when it comes to paying your bill.
- Pay Online:
- You can log in to MyHealth or the MyHealth mobile app to see and pay your bill.
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- Pay by mail:
- Stanford Health Care
P.O. Box 740715, Los Angeles, CA 90074-0715
Los Angeles, CA 90074-0715
- Stanford Health Care
- Pay by Phone:
- You can call our Patient Billing Customer Service Office
1-800-549-3720.
- You can call our Patient Billing Customer Service Office
For our latest business hours and for more information about billing, visit our Billing page.
We offer a number of support services at the Heart and Vascular Center, including a Lifestyle Modification program, support groups, integrative medicine, nutrition services, a health library, and a variety of classes and events. Learn more about our support services
Please call our clinic receptionists at 650-725-2621. They are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to help you reschedule or cancel your appointment.
To determine if a clinical trial is right for you, talk to your doctor. He or she can refer you to a research coordinator for more information on studies that may be right for your specific condition.
You can also find the guidelines for who can participate in a particular clinical trial online. However, it is best to work with your doctor to decide the right care approach for your needs.
View list of open interventional cardiology clinical trials at Stanford
Many of our programs are available to international patients.
Our International Medicine Services team can help you find the right doctor, estimate medical costs, book travel, and get you information about Stanford programs and services. Please call +1 650-723-8561 or email IMS@stanfordhealthcare.org to get started.
What Are Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation?
To schedule an appointment, please call: 650-723-6459
Our Clinics
The Stanford Valvular Heart Disease Clinic brings together different disciplines for a team approach to diagnosis and treatment. Whenever possible, our team of cardiologists aims to repair your valve. When necessary, we offer the top options for valve replacement.
3rd Floor, Clinic A31
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-723-6459 Getting Here
RELATED CLINICS
3rd Floor, A32
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-723-6459
3rd Floor, Clinic A31
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-8246
Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation
Our expertise in minimally invasive repair for mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation is recognized nationwide. We also offer expert valve replacement.
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