What a heart valve does

Your heart is a powerful muscle that is designed to keep blood moving through every part of your body. Your heart continually pumps blood that comes from the lungs, where the blood picks up oxygen, and is delivered to the rest of the body. When the blood returns to the heart after delivering the oxygen, the heart pumps it back to the lungs to pick up oxygen again.

For this process to work efficiently, the blood must move freely and in only one direction. Your heart valves open to permit blood to move forward, and then close to prevent blood from moving backward.

• Blood is pumped through the mitral and tricuspid valves as it enters the heart.These two valves control blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the heart.
• On its way out of the heart, blood passes through the pulmonary and aortic valves.

Learn more about your heart valve disease and the surgical procedures that correct it.

Educational content provided by Edwards Lifesciences