When patients have mitral valve disease, the small flaps that open and close to let oxygen-rich blood flow through the heart do not work as they should. Choosing the right surgeon to fix a leaky mitral valve - which can cause blood to flow backwards into the lungs and often leads to shortness of breath and chest pain is a critical decision.

Now a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that patients who chose surgeons with deep experience in performing this complex procedure had a better chance of living longer and not needing additional procedures to correct the problem.