leaky heart valves

  My mother was recently told that she had three (3) leaky valves.
  Two(2) "important ones", one(1)"not so important". This was the extent
  of what she knows about her condition.  She has a history of heart disease
  and has had a double by-pass years ago, and has lived with a lot of angina
  attacks, which have gotten worse in recent months.  Do the valves effect
  these attacks?  What if anything can be done?  Any information you could provide
  would be greatly appreciated.
                                              Sincerely,
        
                                              Robert Kennedy
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Dear Robert:
Angina can be caused by blockages in heart arteries.  Several years after bypass surgery, there is a chance that the bypasses have clogged up; in addition, the extent of heart disease in the native heart arteries can progress.  The way to investigate this is with stress testing and/or a cardiac catheterization.  Problems with the heart valves can also cause anginal pain.  Valves can get "tight" or "leaky" and either situation can cause problems, depending on the severity of tightness or leakiness.  An echocardiogram, an ultrasound picture of the heart, is the usual way of diagnosing heart valve problems and grading their severity.  Both bypass blockages and valve problems can be fixed with surgery.  Repeat bypass surgery and concomitant valve surgery is high risk and should only be done at the most experienced cardiac centers.  I hope this information is useful.
If you wish for your mother to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist who specializes in valve disorders at desk F15.  Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only.  Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.

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A related discussion, heart valves was started.