Elizabeth Taylor's "Controversial & Experimental" Heart Surgery Explained By Dr. Lishan Aklog

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CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO INTERVIEW ABOUT ELIZABETH TAYLOR

77-year-old Hollywood legend, Elizabeth Taylor announced Tuesday on Twitter, she's going to the hospital to have a heart procedure. Taylor explained, "It's very new and involves repairing my leaky valve using a clip device, without open heart surgery, so that my heart will function better."

To better understand the Mitraclip procedure the two-time Oscar-winning actress is undergoing, Dr. Lishan Aklog, M.D., Cardiothoracic surgeon and the chairman of EmpowHer's Medical Advisory Board shared his insights with Todd Hartley.

Aklog explained, "It sounds like she has a leaky valve, what appears to be a leaky mitral valve. This is the inlet valve for the main pumping chamber of the heart. When that valve is leaking, some of the blood goes backwards and leaks back towards the lungs. And that causes a condition which she apparently was diagnosed with five years ago called congestive heart failure."

Symptoms she is most likely is experiencing include shortness of breath and fatigue.

"It appears she is undergoing a new, most would argue still experimental procedure and actually quite controversial procedure to attempt to repair this leaky valve", explained Dr. Aklog. When asked to explain why the Mitraclip procedure was considered experimental, Aklog explained, "the procedure has not been proved to be effective. It's still under clinical trial to see if it's effectiveness is acceptable."

During the interview, Aklog also explain the standard procedure, it's success rate and the possible reasons why Elizabeth Taylor is undergoing a highly controversial and experimental procedure.

View Dr. Aklog's videos on Mitral Valve Prolapse:

VIDEO: Dr. Aklog - Mitral Valve Prolapse, What Is This?
https://www.empowher.com/media/video/video-dr-aklog-mitral-valve-prolaps...

VIDEO: Dr. Aklog - Mitral Valve Prolapse, What Causes This?
https://www.empowher.com/media/video/video-dr-aklog-mitral-valve-prolaps...

VIDEO: Dr. Aklog - Mitral Valve Prolapse, Does It Need Treatment?
https://www.empowher.com/media/video/video-dr-aklog-mitral-valve-prolaps...

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