Mitral Valve Disease Treatment in Turkey
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What is a Mitral Valve Disease?
Mitral Valve Disease occurs when the mitral valve does not open or close normally. In mitral stenosis, the valve opening becomes narrowed and restricts blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. In mitral regurgitation, the valve does not close completely, allowing blood to flow backwards into the left atrium. Mitral valve prolapse can also cause regurgitation when the valve leaflets bulge backwards. The condition may be congenital or develop because of rheumatic heart disease, age-related changes, infection, heart disease, or other structural problems.
What is the Importance of Timely Treatment?
Timely evaluation helps determine the type and severity of mitral valve disease, monitor changes in heart function, control symptoms, and identify when medicines, catheter-based procedures, valve repair, or valve replacement may be appropriate. Treating significant disease can help reduce the risk of complications such as atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, blood clots, heart failure, and stroke.
What are the Common Symptoms of Mitral Valve Disease?
- Shortness of Breath: Breathlessness may occur during physical activity or, in more advanced disease, at rest or when lying down.
- Fatigue: Reduced forward blood flow or increased cardiac workload may cause persistent tiredness and reduced stamina.
- Palpitations: Some people experience a fast, pounding, fluttering, or irregular heartbeat, particularly when atrial fibrillation develops.
- Swelling: Fluid retention may cause swelling of the feet, ankles, or legs.
- Reduced Exercise Tolerance: Everyday activities may become more difficult because of breathlessness or fatigue.
- Dizziness or Chest Discomfort: Significant valve disease may sometimes cause dizziness, fainting, or chest discomfort.
Causes and Risk Factors of Mitral Valve Disease
Causes
- Rheumatic Heart Disease: Previous rheumatic fever can cause long-term damage to the mitral valve, particularly leading to mitral stenosis.
- Mitral Valve Prolapse: Abnormal leaflet movement can cause mitral regurgitation.
- Age-Related Changes: Degeneration and calcium deposits can affect the valve's structure and function.
- Heart Disease: Previous heart attack, cardiomyopathy, or other structural heart conditions may damage the mitral valve.
- Infection: Infective endocarditis can damage valve tissue.
- Congenital Abnormalities: Some people are born with abnormalities affecting the mitral valve.
- Autoimmune or Inflammatory Conditions: Certain inflammatory diseases can affect the heart valves.
- Previous Chest Radiation: Radiation treatment involving the chest may contribute to later valve damage.
Risk Factors
- Older age
- Previous rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease
- Previous heart attack or heart disease
- Congenital heart abnormalities
- Previous infective endocarditis
- Certain autoimmune or inflammatory conditions
- Previous chest radiation
- Family history of certain valve disorders
- Conditions associated with mitral annular calcification
Latest Research and Technologies in the Treatment of Mitral Valve Disease in Turkey
- Modern mitral valve care increasingly uses advanced echocardiography, 3D imaging, cardiac CT and MRI, minimally invasive surgery, and catheter-based interventions to assess valve anatomy and guide treatment. Current international guidelines emphasise multidisciplinary heart teams and specialised Heart Valve Centres for complex valve disease. For selected patients with severe mitral regurgitation who are unsuitable for conventional surgery, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) may provide a less invasive treatment option. Mitral valve repair, minimally invasive approaches, and personalised timing of intervention are also important aspects of modern care.
Treatment options for Mitral Valve Disease
Percutaneous Mitral Balloon Commissurotomy (PMBC): This is a highly specific catheter-based, first-line mechanical treatment to split open fused leaflets in patients with favourable stenotic anatomy (primarily rheumatic).
Mitral Valve Repair: The surgical intervention for primary mitral regurgitation, preserving the native anatomy, maintaining subvalvular mechanics, and avoiding long-term anticoagulation.
Mitral Valve Replacement : The standard open-surgical option using a mechanical or bioprosthetic valve, reserved for patients whose valves are too calcified or damaged to repair.
Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER): A minimally invasive catheter procedure that brings the mitral valve leaflets together to reduce regurgitation.
- Clinical assessment:
- Medical History: Assessment includes symptoms, previous rheumatic fever, infections, heart disease, previous procedures, and relevant family history.
- Physical Examination: A doctor may listen for a heart murmur and assess breathing, blood pressure, heart rhythm, and signs of fluid retention.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): Evaluates heart rhythm and electrical activity and may identify atrial fibrillation or other abnormalities.
- Exercise or Stress Testing: May help assess symptoms and functional capacity when symptoms are unclear or occur mainly during activity.
- Blood Tests: Selected tests may help assess associated conditions or complications.
- Imaging Tests:
- Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE): The primary imaging test for assessing mitral valve structure, blood flow, disease severity, and heart function.
- Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE): Provides more detailed views of the mitral valve and may support treatment planning.
- 3D Echocardiography: Provides detailed three-dimensional information about valve anatomy and can assist repair or catheter-procedure planning.
- Cardiac CT: May help evaluate valve anatomy and calcification in selected patients.
- Cardiac MRI: Can assess heart structure, ventricular function, and the effects of significant valve disease.
- Chest X-ray: May show heart enlargement or changes related to fluid accumulation.
- Cardiac Catheterisation: May be used in selected cases when additional pressure measurements or coronary assessment is required.
MediRehab (a chain of Rehab centres, part of MediGence) provides comprehensive tele-rehabilitation services designed to support Mitral Valve Disease patients in Turkey. These services include:
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Structured rehabilitation may help selected patients improve cardiovascular fitness and safely return to daily activities after treatment.
- Gradual Physical Activity: Increase activity according to symptoms, heart function, and advice from the treating cardiac team.
- Breathing and Functional Training: Selected patients may benefit from exercises that improve functional capacity after prolonged illness or surgery.
- Long-Term Follow-Up: Regular cardiology reviews and echocardiography help monitor valve function, heart rhythm, and ventricular performance.
- Medicines are selected according to the type of mitral valve disease and associated complications. Diuretics may reduce fluid accumulation and breathlessness, while medicines that control heart rate or rhythm may be used when indicated. Anticoagulants may be prescribed for selected patients with atrial fibrillation or an increased risk of blood clots. Other medicines may manage blood pressure or heart failure. In rheumatic disease, appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis may help prevent recurrent rheumatic fever.
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Hospitals for Mitral Valve Disease in Turkey
Memorial Ankara Hospital
Ankara, Turkey
Memorial Ankara Hospital located in Ankara, Turkey is accredited by JCI. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- Covers an area of 42,000 sqm of closed area
- Capacity of 230 beds (60 intensive care units
- 11 Operating rooms
- 63 Polyclinics
- Technologies used by the Hospital are PET/CT, Endosonography-EUS, Elekta Versa HD Signature, etc.
- Besides the patient rooms and suites where any needs and luxuries of the patients and their relatives are considered, Memorial also has rooms for dissable patients, where all details are designed specially
Medical Park Karadeniz Hospital
Trabzon, Turkey
Apart from in-detail treatment procedures available, Medical Park Karadeniz Hospital located in Trabzon, Turkey has a wide variety of facilities available for International Patients. Some of the facilities which are provided by them are Accommodation, Airport Transfer, Choice of Meals, Interpreter, TV inside room. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- Situated in an area of 12.000 square meter
- Capacity of 107 beds
- Intensive Care Unit (17 beds)
- Neonatal ICU (NICU- 12 beds)
- 6 Operating Rooms
- Cafeteria
Florence Nightingale Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey
The first green hospital in Turkey, Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospital, was inaugurated in 2013. Group The Florence Nightingale hospitals are the first Turkish hospitals to be granted Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, and they continue to be associated and work with esteemed healthcare organizations.
The Florence Nightingale Group treats 250,000 outpatients and 70,000 inpatients annually, demonstrating its excellence. The hospitals have a capacity of 804 inpatient beds, 141 ICU beds, and 40 operating rooms, and perform 20,000+ procedures annually, of which 1,000 are cardiac operations for children and 2,000 are for adults. For conducting difficult orthopedic, general surgery, minimally invasive, and other heart treatments, the facility stands out. All operating rooms can be interconnected by audio-visual to a 300-person conference room and global hubs, enabling interactive medical teaching and scientific activity.
Interpreter and translator services for languages such as Turkish, Azerbaijani, Bulgarian, Arabic, English, Persian, Serbian, Russian, Albanian, Macedonian, German, Bosnian, and Romanian are available.
The hospital has specialized departments such as Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, IVF and Infertility, Nephrology, Oncology and Oncosurgery, Spine Surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Gynecology, and Obesity or Bariatric Surgery. With an extensively qualified and experienced team of advisors and interpreters, Florence Nightingale Istanbul is committed to providing one-stop service from beginning to end, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Why Choose Turkey for Mitral Valve Disease Treatment?
- Experienced Cardiac Specialists: Access to cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and electrophysiology specialists.
- Advanced Cardiac Imaging: Major centres may provide TTE, TEE, 3D echocardiography, cardiac CT, and cardiac MRI.
- Mitral Valve Repair: Selected hospitals provide surgical mitral valve repair using conventional or minimally invasive approaches.
- Catheter-Based Treatment: Eligible patients may have access to procedures such as percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy and TEER.
- Advanced Cardiac Surgery: Hospitals may offer mitral valve replacement and complex valve surgery.
- Multidisciplinary Heart Teams: Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists, anaesthesiologists, intensivists, and rehabilitation professionals can coordinate complex cases.
- Personalised Treatment Planning: Treatment can be selected according to valve anatomy, disease severity, symptoms, heart function, age, and associated conditions.
- International Patient Support: Many major Turkey hospitals provide assistance with medical records, appointments, treatment coordination, accommodation, and follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewer
Dr. Nityanand Tripathi
Interventional Cardiologist
29 Years of Experience
With a rich experience of more than 29 years, Dr. Nityanand has gained a vast spectrum of skills and expertise in performing all types of complex cardiac procedures. He is an expert in clinical & interventional cardiology and electrophysiology. He studied his medicine (MBBS) and MD from the Institute of Medical Sciences of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and later completed his DM in Cardiology from the prestigious King George Medical University, Lucknow. View More
Last Reviewed - January 2026