JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4JAX meteorologist Katie Garner opened up to viewers Friday about her recent heart condition diagnosis.
Katie was diagnosed with Mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation, also known as mitral valve regurgitation, and will have to undergo surgery.
Mitral valve regurgitation is the most common type of heart valve disease, according to Mayo Clinic. It occurs when the mitral valve’s flaps don’t close properly between heartbeats, allowing blood to leak backward into the left atrium
In this condition, the valve between the left heart chambers doesn’t close fully. Blood leaks backward across the valve. If the leakage is severe, not enough blood moves through the heart or to the rest of the body. Mitral valve regurgitation can make you feel very tired or short of breath.
Per the doctor’s orders, Katie must wear a heart monitor for two weeks to determine how much damage the regurgitation portion of this problem has done to the heart. That will be the determining factor in how quickly surgery will be needed. A potential transesophageal echo will follow the monitor to get a better visual of the heart, and then she will go to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville as a patient.
The cardiologist told Katie that she has had this since birth, and it’s the type of condition that you have to be very careful exerting yourself.
Katie is in great spirits and credits her wonderful family visiting and attending her appointments, her close knit group of friends, her fun work framily, and her happy dog Kevin for her positive outlook.
To learn more about Mitral Valve Prolapse with Regurgitation, click here.
Symptoms (Mayo Clinic)
Mitral valve regurgitation is often mild and develops slowly. Some people do not have symptoms for many years.
But sometimes, mitral valve regurgitation develops quickly. When this happens, it’s called acute mitral valve regurgitation.
Fatigue is a common but nonspecific symptom of mitral valve regurgitation. Other symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation include:
- Irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia.
- Shortness of breath, especially when lying down.
- Feelings of a rapid, pounding or fluttering heartbeat, called palpitations.
- Swollen feet or ankles.