Valve repair for rheumatic mitral disease.
OBJECTIVE
Mitral valve repair is the standard reparative technique for degenerative mitral disease, but results of valve repair in rheumatic disease are also encouraging. The outcomes after mitral valve repair for rheumatic disease at young age was evaluated for suitability of repair.


METHODS
A total of 319 patients (246 females, 73 males; mean age 31.3+/-0.5 years) underwent mitral valve repair for rheumatic mitral disease at the authors' institution between 1991 and 1998. Mean follow up was 51.9+/-1.2 months (range: 9-98 months), and was 88.7% complete.


RESULTS
Preoperatively, 47.6% of patients were in NYHA classes III and IV. Mitral stenosis was present in 87.5%, insufficiency in 5.3%, and stenosis/insufficiency in 7.2%. Concomitant procedures were performed in 32% of patients who had associated cardiac lesions. The intraoperative mortality, reoperation and reoperation mortality rates were 0.9%, 6.7% and 0%, respectively. During follow up there were 10 late deaths (3.5%), six of which were cardiac disease-related (2.1%). Postoperatively, 98% of patients were in NYHA classes I and II.


CONCLUSIONS
Valve repair in mitral disease is a standard technique, with low mortality, complication and reoperation rates, and good cardiac function and late survival. This approach is equally applicable to rheumatic mitral valve repair; hence, rheumatic mitral valves should also be repaired.
Mavioglu
I
I
Cardiovascular Surgery Department, Ankara Teaching Hospital, Social Security Organization, Turkey.
Dogan
O V
OV
Ozeren
M
M
Dolgun
A
A
Yucel
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology