The heart consists of four chambers and between the left front chamber (or atrium) and the left main chamber sits the mitral valve. This valve ensures that blood flows properly between the atrium and the main chamber on the left side of the heart. When the mitral valve experiences leakages, blood runs back into the left atrium instead of being pumped out to the rest of the body through the main chamber. This forces the heart to work overtime.

Approximately 25 per cent of patients who suffer a blood clot in the heart subsequently experience leakages of the mitral valve. To avoid having to replace the valve with an artificial heart valve, doctors operate in an attempt to repair the patient's own valve. Unfortunately, for approx. 30 per cent of these patients, the leakages return again after two to four years. In his doctoral dissertation, clinical associate professor and specialty registrar at the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Henrik Jensen from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital has examined how these patients can receive better help.

"We have tested new treatment methods on pigs that have a leakage of the mitral valve and our research findings indicate that the valve’s function can be improved by supporting the anchor points of the heart valve in the left main chamber," says Henrik Jensen, who in his clinical work is concerned with adult heart surgery, including heart valve surgery and coronary bypass surgery.

Henrik Jensen hopes to ensure that patients with mitral valve leakages will receive better treatment in future.

The doctoral defence took place on Friday 30 January 2015 and was titled: Surgical Treatment of Functional Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation.

Further information

Clinical Associate Professor and Specialty Registrar, PhD Henrik Jensen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
Direct tel.: +45 7845 3024
henrik.jensen@clin.au.dk