Question:
Will a mitral valve prolapse stop surgery?

I recently had a cardiac cath test done they found i have a mitral valve prolapse will this hurt my chances of getting approved for surgery or will loosing the weight help this condition?    — dave B. (posted on October 19, 2002)

October 19, 2002
Hi David, I too have mitral valve prolapse. I asked Dr. Terry Simpson, a surgeon who chats with us in the AMOS chatroom, about this. He said they would give us the proper antibiotics before surgery, but that it has never stopped a surgery. Hope this helps ease your mind.
   — LM O.

October 19, 2002
I have mitral valve also, my surgery was on 10/08/02. Dr said it was his easiest so far
   — Kimberly H.

October 19, 2002
Majority of the population is walking around with mitral valve prolapse. It is no big whoop. Just something that should be monitored every couple of years. You will need antibiotic prophylactics before non-sterile procedures, for example teeth cleaning. Some doctors give antibiotics during surgery just as a precaution anyway, whether you have it or not.
   — Sue A.

October 20, 2002
Dave, I too have a heart murmur. My surgeon required an echocardiogram prior to surgery to check for excessive leakage of the valve. All was ok and I was cleared for surgery. I didn't have to take any antibiotics prior to surgery, just received the regular ones during it and after and have had no problems whatsoever.
   — LLinderman

October 20, 2002
MVP should not stop you from having surgery; however, your surgeon will want a cardiac clearance letter from your cardiologist. The clearance letter will indicate whether or not you need to have prophylactic antibiotics pre-op (which means that after your IV is started in pre-op, they usually give you 2-3 antibiotics to avoid problems). Most people who have this already know because they've already been told that they knee prophylactic antibiotics before having any dental work done.
   — Lynette B.