What is the mitral valve?
The mitral valve is the valve that separates the left atrium from the left ventricle. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs passing through the mitral valve to the left ventricle which then pumps the blood to the rest of the body. The valve has two leaflets and closes when the left ventricle contracts. An abnormal mitral valve may either leak (regurgitation or insufficiency) or be too tight (stenosis).