Heart Valves and Valve Disease

A valve which is diseased or damaged can affect the flow of blood through the heart. There are two main types of valve problem:-

Valve stenosis.
This means the opening of the valve is narrowed and the valve does not open fully. So, there is a partial restriction in blood flow through the valve.

Valve regurgitation (sometimes called valve incompetence, or a 'leaky valve').
This means the valve does not close properly and there is backflow of blood through the leaky valve.

Any of the valves can be affected by these problems. However, the mitral and aortic valves are the ones that most commonly become diseased.

This leaflet explains the workings of the heart and the implications of heart valve disease.