Its not the kind of news you expect to hear when you go in for a routine physical exam: You may have mitral valve regurgitation. However, as heart complications go, mitral valve regurgitation is among the more treatable. If you have a mild condition, you may not need any treatment at all. Drugs cannot correct the problem with the valve itself, though if you have high blood pressure, which can make the valve disease worse, anti-hypertensive medications may help keep your valve disease from progressing. In more serious cases, mitral valve repair is the preferred option. Advances in technology allow some repairs to be done through small incisions on the right side of the chest, rather than with open surgery.
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