title: Indications for mitral valve surgery.
abstract: The current indications for mitral valve surgery are summarized in this review. Remarkable advancements in surgical technique and in our ability to define the onset of ventricular dysfunction have led to increasingly liberal indications for mitral valve surgery. Mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation (MR) might be employed in asymptomatic patients with normal left ventricular function if valve repair were almost certain while in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction, where valve replacement with destruction of the valve apparatus is most unwise, successful repair can lead to an improved quality of life. However, much is left to be done: increased repair rate, better definition of the role of surgery in both ischemic and myopathic MR and the role of limited incision surgery are all on the exciting horizon of the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. blaseanthony.carabello@med.va.gov
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Carabello
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome