Heart Valves

About the Heart Valves

The four heart valves ensure unidirectional blood flow. The atrioventricular valves are between atria and ventricles: tricuspid right side, three leaflets and mitral bicuspid left side, two leaflets. Both are anchored by chordae tendineae to papillary muscles preventing prolapse during ventricular contraction. The semilunar valves are at ventricular exits: pulmonary valve right ventricle to pulmonary artery and aortic valve left ventricle to aorta, both three leafed cup shaped. Valvular disease includes stenosis narrowing and regurgitation leaking. Aortic stenosis from calcification is the most common valve disease in the elderly. Mitral valve prolapse affects 2 to 3 percent of the population. Rheumatic heart disease damages valves after strep infection. Valve replacement options include mechanical durable but require lifelong anticoagulation and bioprosthetic pig or cow tissue, shorter lifespan but no anticoagulation. TAVR transcatheter aortic valve replacement avoids open surgery.