title: Evaluation of the mitral valve leaflet morphology after mitral valve reconstruction with a concept "coaptation length index".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In clinical settings, information on morphology of mitral valve leaflet after mitral valve reconstruction is limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1996 and June 2000, 36 patients underwent mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation (MR). The etiology of mitral insufficiency was prolapse, dilated annulus, and ischemia. Ring annuloplasty was performed in all cases. Mitral valve short-axis dimension (MVd), vertical distance between annular line and closing point (Vd), coaptation length (CL), and coaptation length index (CLI) were measured by two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography for the present 11 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 11 cases, residual MR, using a scale from 0 to 4, was 0 in 5 patients, 1 in 4 patients, 2 in 2 patients whose etiology of regurgitation was cardiomyopathy. MVd and Vd decreased significantly (38.7+/- 6.2 to 27.0 +/- 5.6 mm, 10.1 +/- 7.7 to 6.5 +/- 4.6 mm, respectively). CL and CLI increased significantly (6.4 +/- 2.4 to 11.6 +/- 4.6 mm, 0.16 +/- 0.06 to 0.44 +/- 0.21, respectively). Among those indices, only CLI has a statistically significant negative correlation with the degree of residual MR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mitral valve ring annuloplasty produces the morphologic change of the mitral apparatus, especially increase of CLI, which may be one of the main factors in regulation of regurgitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Labour Welfare Corporation Osaka Rosai Hospital, Nagasone-cho, Sakai Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuki
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masai
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noro
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications