After you develop symptoms of mitral valve stenosis, it usually takes about 3 to 10 years before they become disabling. As long as your symptoms are mild or stable, your doctor may be able to keep them under control with medicines. As your symptoms increase and your valve width decreases, surgery to repair or replace the valve will become necessary.

Complications

Although mitral valve stenosis can be an easy condition to overlook in its mild form, as it progresses it often has serious complications. The most common complications are an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), heart failure, and an infection in the heart (endocarditis). All of these are serious medical conditions that require treatment, and you and your doctor should discuss the most appropriate ways to prevent and treat them.

For more information, see the topics Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, and Endocarditis.