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Illustration of the heart valves

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    • Services and providers for Mitral Valve Prolapse in the U.S.

  • National Institutes of Health

Also called: Barlow's syndrome, Floppy valve syndrome, MVP

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) occurs when one of your heart's valves doesn't work properly. MVP is one of the more common heart valve conditions. Most often, it's a lifelong condition that a person is born with. Most people with MVP have no symptoms or problems, need no treatment, and are able to lead normal, active lives.

MVP puts you at risk for infective endocarditis, a kind of heart infection. To prevent it, doctors used to prescribe antibiotics before dental work or certain surgeries. Now, only people at high risk of endocarditis need the antibiotics.

If you need treatment for MVP, medicines can help relieve symptoms or prevent complications. Very few people will need surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894
National Institutes of Health | Department of Health & Human Services 		Date last updated: 03 July 2008
Topic last reviewed: 23 May 2008