Anyone know what causes a heart valve to leak? I had surgery to repair mine (mitral) a few months ago, and now I have a very mild leak.
well maybe the sugeons didnt fix it right or they cut and accedental hole... good luck in the future
The valve isn't closing securly. If that's what you went in for, maybe the surgery wasn't done properly.
The leak is called regurgitation or prolapse .. Here is a little example. Hold up your hands and put your index fingers tip to tip .. like they are pointing at each other. These two fingers will represent the valve's 'leaflets.' Operating normally, your 'leaflets' will open and close together, like a trap door. Now, within your heart's chambers, blood is supposed to flow in only one direction. It is the valve's job to ensure that blood only goes in one direction in each chamber. There are four valves .. tricuspid, pulmonic, mitral and aortic, and four chambers. In a normal valve, the sides open and close in unison with the help of regulating 'cords' that work much like a parachute's cords. If these 'cords' weaken, the valve will leak. Much like a bodybuilder that stops working out and gets flabby, these cords can get 'flabby,' (stretch) and become unable to operate the heart's valve efficiently. Sometimes, the leaflets thicken as a result of infection like rheumatic fever or endocarditis. The thickening will prevent the leaflets from closing tightly (... imagine them being slightly weighted... ) and blood will flow backwards through the valve. Aging, previous heart attacks and congenital birth defects are also common causes of heart valve disorders.
I would say that it would be because of thin tissue.
