Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a condition in which the heart’s mitral valve leaflets do not close tightly. When this happens, blood flows backward from the heart’s left ventricle into the left atrium. The heart must then work harder to push blood through the body, which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath and worsening heart failure. It is the most common type of heart valve insufficiency.
Causes:
The MR causes are broadly classified as ischemic (due to consequences of ischemic heart disease) and non-ischemic. Non-ischemic causes include degenerative (myxomatous disease, leaflet degeneration, and annular calcification), endocarditic, rheumatic, and less common miscellaneous causes (congenital, cardiomyopathy-related, inflammatory, drug-induced, and traumatic).
The common causes of mitral regurgitation are mitral valve prolapse (MVP), ischemic heart disease, Marfan syndrome and rheumatic fever.
There are two types of mitral regurgitation: degenerative and functional. Degenerative mitral regurgitation, also called primary mitral regurgitation, is caused by damage to the mitral valve leaflets. Functional mitral regurgitation, also called secondary mitral regurgitation, is caused by enlargement of the heart due to heart attack or heart failure.
The MitraClip procedure is a catheterization lab procedure using fluoroscopy and echocardiographic guidance. TEE, especially 3D TEE is the most important imaging tool to guide the procedure.
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a condition in which the heart’s mitral valve leaflets do not close tightly. When this happens, blood flows backward from the heart’s left ventricle into the left atrium. The heart must then work harder to push blood through the body, which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath and worsening heart failure. It is the most common type of heart valve insufficiency.
A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries.
A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries.
The decrease in postsurgical nasal edema following rhinoplasty was found to be highly accurate using three-dimensional morphometric assessment, according to a study in the December edition of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
More about Cardiology
The decrease in postsurgical nasal edema following rhinoplasty was found to be highly accurate using three-dimensional morphometric assessment, according to a study in the December edition of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
More than 600,000 knee-replacement surgeries are done in the United States every year, and as Baby Boomers continue to age, some say that figure will grow to 1 million within the next decade. Patients are increasingly choosing an option that allows doctors to build their patient’s knees.
Less than a year ago, climbing a flight of stairs would have been impossible for Amanda Fair-Evans. “I couldn’t even get out of the car, and I was like, ‘What is this?’” Fair-Evans said. The pain in her left knee was unbearable. Fair-Evans tried medication and cortisone shots and finally begged her doctor for surgery. “I have no quality of life,” Fair-Evans recalled saying. “I have grandkids and I want to play with my grandkids. Please give me a new knee.”
Dr. Mathew Pombo, an orthopedic surgeon, felt Fair-Evans would be a great candidate for a personalized replacement knee. A standing CT scan of a patient’s leg captures the alignment, followed by a three-dimensional printing process. “We can input components into the computer and print off a specific femur and a specific tibia that fits the bone perfectly,” Pombo said. It takes about six weeks for a medical company to create the custom knee. During surgery, doctors remove the damaged joint. Then, using individually designed tools, surgeons insert the new joint and cement it in. “It’s basically like putting a train on perfectly aligned train tracks,” Pombo said. “It should wear better.”
Five months later, Fair-Evans had her other knee replaced. Now she’s back to the things she loves to do. “(I’m) taking long walks, playing with my grandkids and dancing,” Fair-Evans said. “I haven’t danced in a long time.” Pombo said there is a faster recovery, less blood loss and easier range of motion when patients have the personalized 3D knee surgery.
Scientists have discovered a molecular “switch” that makes cells in breast cancer tumors become aggressive.
It is perfectly normal for a woman to want to improve her body, especially after a pregnancy and birth or a surgery. The way we feel about our body and appearance is of major importance, key to the boost of self-confidence and good mood. There are solutions with which you can correct any kind of imperfection questioning the femininity of a woman, and achieve the desired appearance.
When is a woman eligible for breast surgery?
