Severe mitral regurgitation in a 1-year-old child usually requires surgical treatment.
Mitral regurgitation is caused by a congenital anomaly or an acquired lesion that fails to close completely when the left ventricle contracts, thus causing part of the blood flowing from the left atrium into the left ventricle to regurgitate into the left atrium. Depending on the degree of regurgitation, it can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Generally, severe regurgitation should be treated surgically, while conservative treatment with medication is generally less effective.
Surgical treatment includes mitral valve repair and mitral valve replacement. Mitral valve repair is suitable for patients with good mobility, and can use the patient’s own tissues and artificial substitutes to repair the mitral valve and restore the integrity of the mitral valve; whereas mitral valve replacement is suitable for patients with severe damage to the mitral valve and who cannot undergo mitral valve repair.
After surgical treatment, children with metal valve replacement should also be treated with warfarin anticoagulation as prescribed by the doctor to prevent thrombosis, with regular monitoring of the prothrombin time during the period of medication and attention paid to the presence of bleeding and other adverse reactions.