This is known as cardiac regurgitation. It can happen with aortic valve, mitral valve or (rarely) both.In the forward flow direction, the valve opens outward. At the end of the stroke the valve normally closes fully. In cases of certain valve diseases, the valve does not close fully leading to a leak back on pressure reversal.The extent of leak is usually given as a percentage of the stroke volume. The cardiologists will usually suggest conservative treatment if regurgitation is small. If it is excessive the heart gets an unacceptable overload. Either valvuloplasty or replacement with a prosthetic valve may be recommended. Rarely, regurgitation can happen with a prosthetic valve also.
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