Final answer:
Treatment for ruptured mitral valve chord and papillary muscle includes surgical repair, medical management, and valve replacement, tailored to the patient's condition. Chordae tendineae are crucial for atrioventricular valves to prevent prolapse and regurgitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The treatment options for a ruptured mitral valve chord and papillary muscle rupture include surgical repair, medical management, valve replacement, and observation. Decisions on treatment are individualized based on the severity of the rupture, the symptoms, and the overall health of the patient. Surgical repair or valve replacement are common treatments for such ruptures, aiming to restore the valve function and prevent complications like heart failure.
Regarding the echocardiogram observation, the chordae tendineae are critically important for the atrioventricular valves because they anchor the valve leaflets or cusps to the heart muscles, preventing them from being inverted or prolapsed by the high pressure that comes from the ventricles during contraction. Atrioventricular valves including the mitral and tricuspid valves, without chordae tendineae, would be at risk of prolapse and subsequent regurgitation, characterized by a heart murmur heard through a stethoscope.