▁birth ▁( con gen ital ). ▁More ▁often ▁the ▁mit ral ▁val ve ▁becomes ▁ab normal ▁with ▁age ▁( de gener ative ) ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁r he um atic ▁fe ver . ▁In ▁rare ▁instances ▁the ▁mit ral ▁val ve ▁can ▁be ▁destroyed ▁by ▁in fection ▁or ▁a ▁b acter ial ▁end oc ard itis . ▁Mit ral ▁reg urg itation ▁may ▁also ▁occur ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁is chem ic ▁heart ▁disease ▁( cor on ary ▁ar tery ▁disease ) ▁or ▁non - isch em ic ▁heart ▁disease ▁( d il ated ▁card iom y op ath y ). ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁Dr . ▁Elli ott ▁C ut ler ▁of ▁the ▁Peter ▁Bent ▁Br igh am ▁Hospital ▁performed ▁the ▁world ’ s ▁first ▁successful ▁heart ▁val ve ▁surg ery ▁– ▁a ▁mit ral ▁val ve ▁repair . ▁The ▁patient ▁was ▁a ▁ 1 2 - year - old ▁girl ▁with ▁r he um atic ▁mit ral ▁st en osis . ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁heart - lung ▁machine ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁p aved ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁replacement ▁of ▁the ▁mit ral ▁val ve ▁with ▁an ▁artificial ▁val ve ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁For ▁dec ades ▁after , ▁mit ral ▁val ve ▁replacement ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁surg ical ▁option ▁for ▁patients ▁with ▁a ▁sever ely ▁dise ased ▁mit ral ▁val ve . ▁However , ▁there ▁are ▁some ▁significant ▁down s ides ▁to ▁a