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Mitral Valve Prolapse, What Is This? - Dr. Aklog (VIDEO)

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More Videos from Dr. Lishan Aklog 30 videos in this series

Mitral Valve Prolapse, What Is This? - Dr. Aklog (VIDEO)
Mitral Valve Prolapse, What Is This? - Dr. Aklog (VIDEO)
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Dr. Aklog explains what mitral valve prolapse/MVP is.

Dr. Aklog:
Mitral valve prolapse is a fairly common, basically benign condition involving the mitral valve. It’s picked up by your doctor as a slightly abnormal heart sound with a stethoscope, something called a "click," and in and of itself, it does not imply that the valve is not working properly. It doesn’t imply that the valve is either leaking or not opening properly; it’s just a slight abnormality that’s picked up, again, on a stethoscope that just needs to be noted and followed over time.

A small percentage of patients who carry the label of mitral valve prolapse can eventually, over a long period of time, evolve into having an abnormally functioning valve, but there’s actually a relatively small percentage of patients. Mitral valve prolapse, I should note, is more common in women, and it’s more common in middle-aged, younger to middle-aged women, 30 to 50-years-old or so.

And so if you’ve been labeled as having mitral valve prolapse, there’s really no reason to be concerned about it, but it does suggest that you should be followed by your doctor on a regular basis to see if you’re one of the small minority of patients in whom the valve, over time, can malfunction.

About Dr. Aklog, M.D.:
Dr. Lishan Aklog is the current Director and Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at The Heart and Lung Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona and Director of EmpowHer's Medical Advisory Board. Specializing in adult cardiac care, he graduated from Harvard College followed by Harvard Medical School. Dr. Aklog was a cardiothoracic resident at Brigham and Women’s/Boston Children’s Hospital, an Associate Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and completed international fellowships in London, England and Paris, France.

View Dr. Aklog Videos:
https://www.empowher.com/users/dr-lishan-aklog

Visit Dr. Aklog at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

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