Hi. My son states he was diagnosed with an arrhythmia where one of his heart valves leaks blood into the next chamber before it’s supposed to. What is this condition called, what causes it and is it treatable?

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing.

The heart has four valves, the tricuspid valve, pulmonic valve mitral valve and the aortic valve.

Any of the four valves can become leaky. This means that just after the heart squeezes and pumps blood forward, some blood will leak backward through the valve. Leaking through the valve is also called valve regurgitation.

What has his cardiologist suggested? Is he a candidate for valve replacement or repair? Some people get this surgery, others take medication and still others simply require monitoring.

Best,
Susan