Kauvery Kathaigal: 4
The Rusty Gate: When the heart’s rhythm is stifled by its structure
Highlights
Presentation: A vibrant, middle-aged mother of two, with intermittent central chest pain (often mistaken for angina).
Diagnosis: Chronic Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) with Mitral Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation. She had dilated left atrium and severe pulmonary hypertension
Mitral Valve Replacement (MVR).
Patient’s story
She is the heartbeat of her home—a mother who has spent two decades raising her two sons into young men. Recently, however, a persistent, heavy ache in her chest began to slow her down. To the casual observer, it looked like a standard “heart attack” warning. But her pain wasn’t caused by clogged pipes (arteries); it was caused by a “rusty door” (the mitral valve) that could no longer open or close properly. This structural failure was causing her heart to labor under immense pressure, sending distress signals with every breath.
Treatment Plan
She was on diuretics pre-operatively to offload the fluid buildup in her lungs. Mitral Valve Replacement surgery was done. Discharged on anticoagulants
Outcome
She returned to her role as the pillar of her family, now able to walk and work without the suffocating weight in her chest.
The heart is more than its plumbing
