title: Rate of repair in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Valve repair has been shown to be the method of choice in the treatment of patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation. Minimally invasive surgery has raised skepticism regarding the rate of repair especially for supposedly complex lesions, when anterior leaflet involvement or bileaflet prolapse is present. We sought to review our experience of all our patients presenting with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation and operated on minimally invasively.
  
  
  METHODS
  From September 2006 to December 2012, 842 patients (mean age 56.12±11.62 years old) with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation and anterior leaflet (n=82, 9.7%), posterior leaflet (n=688, 81.7%) and bileaflet (n=72, 8.6%) prolapses were operated on using a minimally invasive approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  836 patients had a valve repair (99.3%) and received a concomitant ring annuloplasty (mean size, 33.7; range, 28-40). Six patients (0.7%) underwent valve replacement. Two patients had a re-repair due to MR progression or infective endocarditis. Thirty-day mortality was 0.2% (two patients). There were 60 major adverse events (MAE) (7.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A minimally invasive approach allows repair of almost all degenerative valves with good short-term outcomes in a tertiary referral center, when using proven and efficient surgical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Herz und Gefäß Klinik, Salzburger Leite 1, 97616 Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perier
authors.affiliation: Herz und Gefäß Klinik, Salzburger Leite 1, 97616 Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hohenberger
authors.affiliation: Herz und Gefäß Klinik, Salzburger Leite 1, 97616 Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Fitsum
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lakew
authors.affiliation: Herz und Gefäß Klinik, Salzburger Leite 1, 97616 Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Batz
authors.affiliation: Herz und Gefäß Klinik, Salzburger Leite 1, 97616 Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Anno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diegeler
keywords: Heart valve; minimally invasive; mitral valve; mitral valve repair; valve disease, surgery