Valvular heart disease

Valvular heart disease or valvular in medicine the generic term for congenital or acquired dysfunction of one or more heart valves.

A valve defects can affect any of the four heart valves, the flap in the left heart ( aortic and mitral ) are affected much more frequently than the right heart ( pulmonary and tricuspid valve ). The dysfunction can in a narrowing ( stenosis), a final disability ( impairment ) or a combination of both (combined Vitium ) consist.

Mild valvular cause no symptoms and require no special treatment. Severe heart defects, however, are usually symptomatic and must be treated frequently after a careful cardiological examination. Since the influence of drugs is hardly possible, is then usually advised for surgery, either as valve repair or valve replacement. In rare cases, a dilation in the context of a cardiac catheter treatment is possible and useful in valvular stenosis.

Where appropriate, obtained with a valvular heart disease to prevent a bacterial infection of the heart valve ( endocarditis) endocarditis patients. For this purpose, a one-or two-time administration of an antibiotic is prescribed, when bacteria are in the blood to be expected or because of damaged heart valves are at higher risk of being damaged by a bacterial infection.