The Bethencourt Group for Mitral Valve Repair

The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart, and ensures that blood returning from the lungs flows forward from the left atrium and into the powerful left ventricle, where it is pumped to the rest of the body.  There are three main problems that can occur with the mitral valve:

• Mitral stenosis. The opening of the valve becomes narrowed.
• Mitral regurgitation. The valve does not close properly, and blood leaks backward when the valve should be tightly closed.
• Mitral valve prolapse. The valve does not close properly, and part of the valve bulges back into the left atrium. 

If the mitral valve fails, the heart pumps inefficiently, and works harder.  This eventually leads to shortness of breath and fatigue with exercise.  Over time, a leaking mitral valve can damage the heart muscle irreversibly.  Early mitral repair surgery is now recommended for mitral valve disease, sometimes before symptoms occur.

Why Mitral Valve Repair Over Mitral Valve Replacement

• The goal of mitral valve repair is to restore function to the patient’s own valve.
• Mitral valve repair has lower surgical risk than replacement.  The repaired valve functions better, and preserves the internal support structure that the mitral valve contributes to the heart muscle.  The repair is durable long-term, and does not require anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medications.

Why Choose Bethencourt Group for Mitral Valve Repair

• Experience. Our surgeons have been performing complex mitral valve repairs since 1987, with hundreds of successful outcomes. Currently our repair rate is over 95% of regurgitant valves.  We are a regional center for valve surgery of all types.  
• da Vinci ^(R) Robot Heart Center.  Our team has performed over 350 da Vinci robot heart procedures since inception in 2006, including mitral repair, heart bypass, tumor resections, and congenital heart defect repairs.  We are a teaching center for DaVinci heart surgery techniques.
• Highly Skilled. Our surgeons are leaders when it comes to performing minimally invasive surgery techniques that minimize pain and recovery from surgery, including da Vinci mitral valve repair and port access aortic and mitral surgery.
• Training. The surgeons at Bethencourt Group have completed top-notch residency training in cardiovascular surgery at the top medical schools in the country, and continually  participate in advanced training in repair techniques.
• Internationally Renown. Numerous surgical groups from all over the world have visited our surgical program to observe procedures.  Dr Bethencourt is frequently asked to speak about valve repair and da Vinci heart surgery at the national and international meetings.

Our Excellent Results

• Using current techniques we are able to repair 95% of leaking valves, even those with the most challenging abnormalities, such as Barlow's valves. 
• Many patients after a da Vinci robotic repair can go home as early as the second day after surgery, and return to work as early as two weeks.

Contact us now

Contact our office to schedule a consultation with one of surgeons.