The valves of the heart are responsible for allowing nutrient-rich blood to flow through the chambers of your heart. Each valve is supposed to close completely after ushering in blood flow.

There are four types of valves in the human heart –

• Mitral
• Aortic
• Tricuspid
• Pulmonary valve

Stenosis, or a narrowing of the blood vessels, causes a less-than-normal amount of blood to flow to the heart. This causes the muscle to work harder. Leaky valves can also pose a problem. Instead of closing tightly, a valve may remain slightly open, letting blood flow backwards. This is called regurgitation.

The most common valve surgical procedure is aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis. Mitral stenosis is another condition that sometimes requires a valve replacement procedure.

In some cardiac disease like Rheumatic heart disease cause the congestive heart failure and death owing to valvular pathologies. In these cases valve replacement (Mitral and Aortic ) still remains the treatment of choice in such patients.