Cosgrove-Edwards Annuloplasty System: midterm results.
BACKGROUND
The Cosgrove-Edwards Annuloplasty System includes a universally flexible band that corrects mitral annular dilatation via measured plication of the posterior annulus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate midterm clinical and functional results in the first 197 patients receiving this flexible annuloplasty band at mitral valve repair.


METHODS
From February 1993 to July 1994, 197 consecutive patients with mitral regurgitation had mitral valve repair using this system. Valve disease was degenerative in 73%, rheumatic in 15%, ischemic in 5%, infectious in 2.5%, and other in 4%.


RESULTS
Immediately after repair, echocardiographic mitral regurgitation was none or trivial in 92%, 1+ in 5%, and 2+ in 3%. There were no hospital deaths. Late follow-up was available in 195 patients (99%), with 661 patient-years of follow-up available for analysis. Four-year actuarial survival was 93%, freedom from thromboembolism 94%, from endocarditis 98%, and from reoperation 95%. At a mean interval of 18 months, echocardiography in 157 patients demonstrated no or trace mitral regurgitation in 56%, 1+ in 24%, 2+ in 9%, 3+ in 6%, and 4+ in 3%. At a mean of 61 +/- 5 months, reconstruction of the mitral annulus from real-time three-dimensional echocardiographic images in 10 patients confirmed preserved nonplanar shape and sphincter mechanism of the mitral annulus. Annular orifice area decreased 28% +/- 11% during the cardiac cycle from a mean of 10.1 +/- 3.9 cm2 in diastole to 7.2 +/- 2.8 cm2 in systole.


CONCLUSIONS
This annuloplasty system is effective for repair of mitral regurgitation secondary to all causes and preserves mitral annular flexibility and function at 5-year follow-up.
Gillinov
A M
AM
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA. gillinom@ccf.org
Cosgrove
D M
DM
Shiota
T
T
Qin
J
J
Tsujino
H
H
Stewart
W J
WJ
Thomas
J D
JD
Porqueddu
M
M
White
J A
JA
Blackstone
E H
EH
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013997:Time Factors