Heart valve disease interrupts the normal flow of blood through your heart’s four valves—aortic valve, mitral valve, pulmonic valve and tricuspid valve—and can be very dangerous to your health.

Mitral valve regurgitation, the most common type of valve disorder, often comes on suddenly after a heart attack. It can also be caused by mitral valve prolapse (MVP), a condition that happens when the two valve flaps inside the mitral valve do not close evenly. MVP is also called “floppy valve syndrome,” click-murmur syndrome and Barlow’s syndrome.

In addition to MVP and heart attack, there are many different causes for heart valve disease, including endocarditis, rheumatic fever, aortic aneurysm and hypertension.

Sutter’s heart specialists offer comprehensive treatment for valve stenosis and regurgitation with excellent outcomes. We have expertise in performing a variety of heart valve surgeries, including valve replacement as both an open heart and minimally invasive procedure. Many of our heart care programs have been nationally recognized and named among the best by organizations such as the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, U.S. News & World Report, Truven Health Analytics and the Joint Commission.