Generally, mitral regurgitation surgery can improve overall survival. Therefore, doctors must weigh the benefits of treatment against its potential risks. However, treatment may pose risks for some people. Treatment can improve symptoms and quality of life. In most cases, doctors focus on managing the underlying cause of pulmonary regurgitation, like pulmonary hypertension. Left untreated, pulmonary regurgitation can cause: More often, an underlying heart health problem causes symptoms rather than pulmonary regurgitation itself. Sometimes it is an isolated issue that might cause no noticeable symptoms. Significant pulmonary regurgitation is rare. Still, a person’s specific survival rate without treatment depends on the severity of their disease. Researchers in a 2018 paper emphasize that tricuspid regurgitation left untreated can worsen long-term survival and may complicate other medical conditions. Treatment may not always require surgery, either. However, treatment depends on the symptoms’ severity. If people do develop symptoms, doctors may then recommend treatment. When this happens, doctors may recommend only monitoring the condition. Tricuspid regurgitation sometimes causes no symptoms. Surgery has not been shown to improve long-term survival in people with secondary mitral regurgitation.Ī 2009 study, found that the annual rate of death for people over age 50 with mitral regurgitation was 3% with moderate disease and 6% with severe disease.Īnother study from 2009 - involving 144 people - found a 5-year death rate of 30% for mitral regurgitation compared with 13% in an age-matched control group. Mitral regurgitation has two main categories: primary and secondary. However, this condition increases the risk of dying over time. Similar to aortic regurgitation, long-term survival depends on symptoms, if any, and disease severity. Mitral regurgitation may also cause no symptoms. However, treatment can improve life expectancy. Older research from 1999 notes that without surgery, the outlook for people who have symptomatic, severe aortic valve regurgitation is poor, with around 28% surviving 3 years or longer. Once a person develops symptoms, their risk of pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, and other serious complications increases. In the early stages of the disease, doctors recommend monitoring for the development of symptoms. People with a severe form of the disease may experience: However, this condition tends to progress over time and can cause symptoms that need treatment.

With aortic regurgitation, a person might have no symptoms.

It causes more deaths than other types of leaky valves. Aortic regurgitationĪortic valve regurgitation affects 4.9–10% of the U.S. Generally, leaking heart valves that are left untreated can impact life expectancy.

Trivial tricuspid regurgitation