Heart valve
Heart valve is the structure at each exit of the four chambers of the heart that allows blood to exit but not to flow back in.
Function[edit | edit source]
The valves open and close to control or regulate the blood flowing into the heart and then away from the heart.
Types[edit | edit source]
- Three of the heart valves are composed of three leaflets or flaps that work together to open and close to allow blood to flow across the opening.
- The mitral valve only has two leaflets
Pathology[edit | edit source]
- Healthy heart valve leaflets are able to fully open and close the valve during the heartbeat, but diseased valves might not fully open and close.
- Any valve in the heart can become diseased, but the aortic valve is most commonly affected.
- Diseased valves can become “leaky” where they don’t completely close; this is called regurgitation.
- If the hart valve narrows and causes obstruction to the flow, it is called stenosis.
- If this happens, blood leaks back into the chamber that it came from and not enough blood can be pushed forward through the heart.
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD