Mitral Valve Repairment

[Kristin0603]

I am a 37 year old female cancer survivor "Hodgkins Disease" - cancer free for going on 22 years(I was 15 when I was diagnosed).  I'm good about having my followup yearly cancer checks, but haven't been as good about following up on my "mitral valve regurgitation". I was treated with both Chemo (MOPP/ABVD) and Radiation for cancer which we know has caused damage to my mitral valve. I've been monitoring it over the years with an echo every couple of years and finally had another one this year which has now shown that I have "severe" Mitral valve regurgitation and "severe" pulmonary hypertension.  I have no symptoms, other then occassionally being out of breath upon exertion.  My echo a couple of weeks ago showed my pulmonary arterial pressure at rest at 51.  We did a stress echo treadmill, which showed that number rising to 91.  I've been told that I can no longer just watch this and now have to have it repaired.  My doctor is in the process of contacting Cleveland Clinic to talk with surgeons there to see if I'm a candidate that they can guarantee they can repair my mitral valve?  I'm scared about what this diagnosis means for me & means for my family?  Is this open heart surgery or could this be done less invasively?  What other tests will have to be done before we decide what our next steps are?  My mitral valve is described as one part (upper valve) working going back in forth & the lower leaf or valve almost in an asystolie - not really doing anything at all.  Obviously this is all fresh and very new to me, but I'm looking for any information on success of repairment for Mitral Valves & what can I expect as far as timeframe to have this scheduled or completed?  My history of cancer will probably play into how this can be repaired, have you had to do this on any other Hodgkins Disease cancer survivors? Thanks for any insight you can provide me.