title: Mitral valve repair--early and medium-term results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitral valve repair is the treatment of choice in patients with mitral insufficiency. Mechanical valves, even when functioning perfectly, are less efficient hemodynamically than a native mitral valve and also have attendant morbidity from thrombolism, anticoagulant-related hemorrhage, and endocarditis. Long-term data have confirmed the durability of mitral repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mitral valve repair was performed on 89 consecutive patients (20 patients in ischemic group) between Nov. 1997 and Jan. 2002, In all patients, posterior annuloplasty with Capentier ring (30) or polytetrafluoroethylene Teflon strip (59) was performed. The repair technique included quadrangular resection, artificial chordae replacement, chordal transfer, and chordal shortening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 5 early deaths (4 deaths in the ischemic group), 9 major complications (5 complications in the ischemic group). Mean follow-up in the entire patient series was 25.18 months. There was one late death and one thromboembolic cerebral episode. Two patients required reoperation after mitral repair. There was a significant improvement in New York Heart Association functional class and grade of mitral regurgitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study confirm that mitral valve repair results in acceptable operative mortality rate, excellent early and medium-term results and incidence of post operative complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hung-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chung-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao-Ji
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Fong-Chung
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Shih-Rong
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Yen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology