Your heart valves are doorways that open and close to let blood move between the chambers of your heart. Problems with your heart valves can mean that blood doesn't flow through your heart and to your body the way it should. This can keep you from feeling your best. Fortunately, valve surgery may help fix a heart valve problem so your heart can work better.

How You Might Feel

If you have heart valve trouble, you may have experienced one or more of the following:

• shortness of breath - when doing normal daily activities or lying down flat in bed. You may need to sleep propped up on a few pillows to breathe easier
• palpitations - feels like skipped beats or a flip-flop feeling in your chest
• weakness or dizziness - feels like passing out
• quick weight gain - three pounds in one day is possible
• edema - swelling in your ankles, feet or abdomen
• chest discomfort - a pain or pressure lasting a few seconds or for a few hours

Symptoms can occur quickly if your valve disease is severe and comes on suddenly. If your disease develops slowly and your heart has time to adjust, you may barely notice your symptoms. The exception is mitral valve prolapse (MVP), where symptoms are common, but may not reflect the severity of your valve disease.
 

Heart Attack I Diet I Excercise I Risk Factors I Valve Symptoms I Heart Disease Symptoms
 Bypass Surgery I Questions & Answers

The content on this web site is intended to provide you and your family with a better understanding of coronary artery disease, beating heart bypass surgery and endoscopic vein harvesting. This information is not intended as a substitute for an informed discussion with your physician.  We encourage you to maintain an open dialogue with you and your primary care physician.  Please feel free to print the information contained on this web site and share this information with your family and physician(s).

 Arterial & Cardiothoracic Surgery, PA
Office:  10004 Kennerly Rd., Suite 103   St. Louis, MO (314) 849-8600
www.heartsurgery-stlouis.com