A Simple, Effective, and Inexpensive Technique for Exposure of Papillary Muscles in Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair: Wakka Technique.
Obtaining excellent exposure of the papillary muscles is challenging in minimally invasive mitral valve repair. We have developed a simple and effective technique using a sterile paper ruler. The ruler is cut to the proper length (8 to 12 cm) depending on the valve size, then rolled and sutured. The rolled ruler, 7 to 11 cm in circumference, is placed inside the mitral leaflets. This technique provides excellent exposure of the papillary muscles without damaging the leaflets and prevents chordal injury during artificial chordal implantation.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: mtabata@post.harvard.edu.
Minoru
M
Tabata
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Chiba, Japan.
Nobuhiko
N
Hiraiwa
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Chiba, Japan.
Yuji
Y
Kawano
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Chiba, Japan.
Daisuke
D
Nakatsuka
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Chiba, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Hoshino
D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D010210:Papillary Muscles