article_snippet: Problems with The mitral valve can make the heart less efficient at pumping blood around the body.
article_snippet: Severe problems can lead to heart failure - which is where the heart can no longer pump enough blood around the body if The mitral valve is not surgically repaired or replaced.
article_snippet: - Mitral regurgitation (also called 'mitral incompetence')
article_snippet: – where there is a backflow of blood through The mitral valve, often as a result of a problem called mitral valve prolapse .
article_snippet: - Mitral stenosis – where The mitral valve doesn't open as wide as The mitral valve should, restricting blood flow .
article_snippet: - Mitral valve prolapse - where one or more of the mitral flaps are floppy and don't close tightly, often leading to backflow of blood .