title: Late results of mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to evaluate the long-term results of mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1991 and 2000, 301 patients with mitral regurgitation underwent mitral valve repair. There were 167 men and 134 women whose mean age was 56 +/- 14 years. The patients were comprised of 7 patients in Carpentier's type I, 277 patients in type II, and 17 patients in type III. Chordal replacement with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures had been prospectively applied to repair the anterior mitral leaflet prolapse. Ring annuloplasty was performed in 230 patients (76%). The follow-up was complete and mean follow-up was 67 +/- 33 months, for a cumulative follow-up of 1,624 patient-years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 5 hospital deaths and 11 late deaths (2 cardiac and 9 noncardiac). All survivors except those with stroke were in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I or II. At 10 years, the actuarial survival was 90 +/- 3%, the freedom from embolism was 86 +/- 4%, the freedom from reoperation was 96 +/- 2%, and the freedom from valve-related events was 77 +/- 4%. At 10 years, the freedom from reoperation in the patients with anterior leaflet prolapse was 90 +/- 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mitral valve repair is feasible in most patients with mitral regurgitation and is associated with low mortality and low rates of valve related events. Chordal replacement with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures is effective, safe, and durable at long-term follow-up for patients with anterior leaflet prolapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kobe General Hospital, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shomura
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakiyama
authors.forename: Shouichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012086:Reoperation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome