Results of Mitral Valve Reconstruction

Between March 1986, and July 1990, a total of 17 patients underwent repair of the mitral valve. Mitral valve replacement was performed in 2 cases in which significant residual regurgitation was apparent on testing the valve after repair. Anterior leaflet resection was performed in one patient, anteroposterior resection in two. Ten patients received a ring annuloplasty, 3 a Carpentier annuloplasty ring, 6 patients a Duran ring, and 1 a Puig-Massana ring. Three patients died in the hospital (17.6 % ): two after conservative operations and one after mitral valve replacement. Follow-up was 3 to 36 months (mean 17 months). Doppler echocardiographic studies were performed in 13 patients. Ten of them had no signs of mitral regurgitation or stenosis, two had moderate mitral regurgitation and one mitral stenosis. Clinical and echocardiographic assessment indicate that mitral valve repair produces good symptomatic improvement and a normal or nearly normal pattern or left ventricular function.