The heart is the most important muscle in our bodies and regulates blood flow to every organ. It consists of four chambers – two atria (the upper chambers) and two ventricles (the lower chambers), and between each chamber is a valve through which blood passes. These valves prevent the backward flow of blood by allowing blood to enter one side of the ventricle and leave the other side of the ventricle. Read more about the anatomy and function of the heart valves.

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Heart valve disease occurs when the valves through which blood flows through the heart do not function properly. Two types of malfunctions may occur: regurgitation (the valve does not close completely, causing blood to flow backward) and stenosis (valve openings become narrowed, damaged or scarred, inhibiting the flow of blood out of the ventricles or atria). It is possible to have both regurgitation and stenosis at the same time.

There are several ways to treat heart valve disease:

• Medication
• Heart Valve Repair
• Heart Valve Replacement
• Robotic Surgery

Read more about heart valve disease:

• Mitral Valve Prolapse and Anxiety – Is there a link?
• Robotically-Assisted Heart Surgery Reduces Healing Time, Scarring

Or, visit our Heart Health Library:

• Heart Valve Disease
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Pulmonary Stenosis
• Tricuspid Atresia
• Aortic Stenosis

UAB Healthcast:

• Life Saving Heart Surgery at UAB
• Joe's Search for a Second Chance
• Cardiothoracic Surgery at UAB