title: Posterior mitral annuloplasty with a flexible linear reducer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated posterior annuloplasty results using a flexible linear reducer, especially as a cardiac surgical procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 24 patients consisting of 20 men and 4 women aged 7 to 79 years (mean; 61.3 years) with mitral regurgitation who underwent mitral valve reconstruction using a flexible linear reducer from May 1999 to April 2001. Mitral regurgitation was attributed to myocardial ischemia in 9 (37.5%). Isolated mitral valve repair was conducted only in 3 (12.5%) and concomitant procedures in 21 (87.5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No operative deaths occurred. One hospital death (4.2%) occurred due to cardiac failure on postoperative day 58. Four late deaths (16.7%) occurred 8 to 15 months after surgery due to heart failure, stroke, and cancer. No patients required reoperation and no perioperative complications occurred. Doppler echocardiography conducted in all patients within a month postoperatively showed excellent valve function: 11 (45.8%) had no residual regurgitation, 5 (20.8%) had trivial insufficiency, 6 (25%) had mild insufficiency, 2 (8.3%) had moderate insufficiency, and none had severe insufficiency. We observed significantly reducted enddiastolic and systolic left ventricular diameter while ejection fraction remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Posterior mitral annuloplasty using a flexible linear reducer is simple, saves time, and is useful for the small left atrium and as an additional procedure in other cardiac surgery.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iguro
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Tamahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinjo
authors.forename: Gouichi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yotsumoto
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arata
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome