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Mitral Valve Repair Surgery At VSOS
Mitral valve repair surgery is an advanced treatment option for some dogs with mitral valve disease. At VSOS, we carefully assess each patient to determine whether this procedure is likely to offer meaningful benefit. The goal is not just to manage symptoms, but to reduce the leak within the valve itself and ease the strain on the heart.
What is Mitral Regurgitation?
The mitral valve helps blood move through the heart in the correct direction. When it does not close properly, some blood leaks backwards into the left atrium. This is called mitral regurgitation.
As the leak worsens, it increases pressure and strain on the heart. In more severe cases, this can lead to congestive heart failure, where fluid builds up in the lungs.
Common clinical presentations of congestive heart failure include: cough, lethargy, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, Collapse or fainting, and sometimes death.
What is Mitral Valve Repair Surgery?
Mitral valve repair is considered the gold standard treatment for mitral valve disease in human medicine. In veterinary medicine, it is still a highly specialised procedure and only available in a small number of centres worldwide.
Most dogs with mitral valve disease are managed with medication. Medication can be very helpful for controlling symptoms and supporting heart function, but it does not repair the leaking valve itself. Mitral valve repair surgery is currently the only treatment that aims to address the underlying problem by physically reducing the leak in the valve.
The goal of surgery is to improve how the valve closes, reduce the backward flow of blood, and ease the ongoing stress placed on the heart.
This procedure involves two main components:
- Mitral annuloplasty
- Artificial chordal replacement
Because the surgery is performed directly on the heart, the heart must be temporarily stopped during the procedure. A cardiopulmonary bypass machine is used to circulate and oxygenate the blood while the repair is carried out.
Why consider surgery?
For the right patient, mitral valve repair offers the possibility of much more than symptom control alone.
If the leak in the valve can be significantly reduced, the heart no longer has to work as hard to compensate. In suitable cases, this may improve quality of life, reduce the progression of heart failure, and provide a much better long-term outlook.
While every case is different, the purpose of surgery is to give selected dogs the best possible chance of longer-term improvement by treating the actual valve problem, rather than only managing its consequences.
Is my dog a suitable candidate for mitral valve repair?
To evaluate your pet’s suitability for the surgery, a series of examinations will be performed. It includes a thorough physical examination, comprehensive blood tests, urinalysis, electrocardiogram, chest X-rays, echocardiography and an abdominal ultrasound. All those tests can be conducted by your local vet or our cardiologist. Based on those test results and the staging of heart disease, we will determine if your pet is a suitable candidate for the surgery.
What happens during the assessment?
Our assessment process is designed to give you clear answers and a plan.
We begin by reviewing your dog’s medical history and any results from your regular vet. From there, we recommend the most appropriate diagnostic tests to better understand your dog’s heart condition and overall health.
Where possible, these tests are performed promptly, and in many cases, we can discuss the findings with you on the same day. The aim is to help you leave with a clear understanding of your dog’s condition and the next steps available.
If you are interested in putting forward your pet for assessment, please complete the following form, and our team will contact you.
