The surgery lasted 9 hours.

Mitral valve insufficiency is a disorder of the special valve located between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart. It consists of two leaflets that move to block the backward flow of blood as it is transported to the aorta. A diagnosis of mitral valve insufficiency means that the valve does not close properly on its own.

Therefore, blood that travels from the left ventricle after the heart contracts partially enters the aorta and partially returns to the left atrium. Regurgitation – the backward flow of blood – causes increased pressure in the left atrium and the accumulation of a larger amount of blood in the heart. As a result, hypertension and a range of other complications will develop, which will eventually affect the functioning of the entire heart. This heart defect initially does not manifest with pronounced symptoms.

However, it poses a serious threat, especially to children. Only when complications develop may a child experience increased fatigue, temporary pain in the heart area, and lethargy. But a therapist can easily listen to the child and hear murmurs in the heart. This is what happened to Bohdan.

At 5.5 years old, the little boy suffered from whooping cough. Fortunately, the illness passed, but it left unpleasant consequences – a heart defect developed in the child based on this: mitral valve insufficiency. Initially, the parents learned about the defect from a therapist in their native Luhansk region, who listened to the child and heard murmurs. Later, doctors from the Amosov Heart Institute came to Severodonetsk. They examined the boy and referred him to Kyiv.

The boy first came to the Amosov Institute in 2015. He underwent mitral valve plasty, and the defect was partially corrected. Later, doctors monitored the boy for a long time, and he often came for check-ups in Kyiv. But over time, it became clear that the surgery had not solved all the problems.

In 2018, cardiac surgeons performed a repeat valve plasty, but even this time, the heart did not begin to beat in a normal rhythm. The boy was sent home to gain strength and get stronger.

This year, the family came for a check-up again. Doctors saw that nothing was helping the little boy, so they decided to perform a third surgery. Bohdan had his valve replaced. The surgery lasted 9 hours. Thanks to the support of caring people who contribute to charitable projects, namely Charity Chain – a joint project of the Guzema Fine Jewelry brand and the "Tvoya opora" charitable foundation – and thanks to cooperation with Synevo, the little boy received everything necessary during his stay in intensive care. Only two days after the surgery, Bohdan was transferred to a regular ward.

Currently, doctors are not giving any prognoses. His condition needs to be monitored. The valve should last 15-20 years, so for now, the boy should be fine. We wish him a speedy recovery and good health.