Multiple triangular resection: a reliable technique for correction of multiple prolapse of the mitral valve.

Quadrangular resection of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve is a well-established technique for the treatment of mitral regurgitation from prolapse of P2. Recently, Suri described triangular resection of the prolapsing scallop, a technique that, avoiding the plication of the annulus corresponding to the resected leaflet, maintains the geometry of the mitral annulus, allowing a more physiologic function of the mitral valve. In this paper, we report multiple triangular resection for the treatment of multiple prolapse of the posterior leaflet.

Echocardiographic assessment of mitral valve morphology and performance after triangular resection of the prolapsing posterior leaflet for degenerative myxomatous disease.

The gold standard for the surgical treatment of prolapse of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve (MV) for degenerative myxomatous disease has been represented by the quadrangular resection of the leaflet, according to the Carpentier technique. Since 2006 we performed a triangular resection of the prolapsing leaflet in 20 patients with myxomatous mitral regurgitation (MR). Seventeen patients (85%) underwent the triangular resection of P2; one patient (5%) had a triple scallops triangular resection (P1, P2, P3) and two (10%) a double scallops (P2, P3) resection. In this study, we report the immediate and mid-term clinical and echocardiographic results of a cohort of 20 patients, who underwent this technique. Thirty-day mortality was 0. Acute renal failure occurred in three patients (15%) and they resolved with conservative management. One patient (5%) required re-exploration for bleeding. At the mean follow-up of 13.1+/-4.2 months survival was 95%; one patient died of lymphoma during the follow-up time. All the cases were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I. Nineteen survivors underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) (5), or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) (13), performed by two skilled cardiologists. All patients showed no or trivial MV regurgitation. We believe that triangular resection of posterior MV leaflet (PMVL) provides excellent mid-term results providing the surgeon with a reliable and reproducible surgical option for myxomatous degenerative MV regurgitation.

Early and long-term outcome of mitral valve repair with a Cosgrove band combined with coronary revascularization in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and moderate-severe mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Clinical and echocardiographic results were investigated to evaluate mitral valve repair in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) with moderately severe mitral regurgitation (MR). METHODS: A total of 78 patients (21 women, 57 men; mean age 69.5 +/- 7.8 years) with ischemic mitral regurgitation underwent mitral valve repair and CABG. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 42.4 +/- 12.4%. Among the patients, 19 (24.4%) had preoperative congestive heart failure (CHF). This surgery constituted a second such operation in five patients (6.4%). The MR was grade 3+ in 28 patients (35.9%) and 4+ in 50 (64.1%). The mean number of grafts was 3.6 per patient. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 11.5% (n = 9). Risk factors for early mortality were preoperative NYHA class > or = III (p = 0.014), preoperative heart failure (p <0.001) and reoperation (p = 0.002). The five-year survival was 82.6 +/- 5.9%, and freedom from grade > or =2+ MR was 93.1 +/- 4.1%. Postoperatively, 66 patients (89.6%) were in NYHA class I and seven (9.4%) in class II, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement (p = 0.03). Late echocardiography showed a significant improvement in LVEF (from 42.4 +/- 12.4% to 51.7 +/- 10.9%; p = 0.01) and a reduction in pulmonary artery pressure (from 37.6 +/- 11.9 mmHg to 29.3 +/- 7.4 mmHg; p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that in patients with ICM, mitral valve repair combined with CABG provides a dramatic improvement in ejection fraction and in CHF, with excellent long-term survival, even in patients with a low LVEF.

Limitations and discrepancies of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography compared with surgical findings in patients submitted to surgery for complications of infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVE: Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is recognized to be superior to transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in evaluating complications of infective endocarditis (IE). The aim of this study was to compare results from TTE and TEE with surgical findings, and to assess limitations and discrepancies of TEE as compared with surgical findings. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out in 63 consecutive patients undergoing surgical intervention for IE-related complications. All patients were submitted to TTE and TEE before surgery. Clinical, anaesthesiological and surgical data were reviewed for all patients as well as the TTE and TEE examinations recorded on S-VHS videotape. Patients were divided into two groups according to the time elapsed from TEE to surgery (> 72 h in group A and < 72 h in group B). RESULTS: The study population included 44 patients with native valve endocarditis and 19 patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis for a total of 76 affected valves (54 native and 22 prosthetic valves). No significant differences were observed between groups in number of patients (31 vs. 32; P = NS), of native valves (29 vs. 27; P = NS), and of prosthetic valves (10 vs. 12; P = NS). Discrepancies between TEE and surgical findings were found in 14 cases (11/31 in group A vs. 3/32 in group B; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Time between TEE and surgery seems to be an important factor affecting comparison. Lesion characteristics appear to be more precise and concordant with surgical findings the shorter the time elapsed from TEE to surgery. Changes resulting from disease progression require repeat TEE evaluation prior to surgical intervention for IE-related complications. This could be useful in providing the surgeon with a more accurate definition of valvular lesions for optimal planning of intervention.