BALTIMORE – Degenerative mitral regurgitation due to anterior or bileaflet prolapse can be treated with excellent results by both the traditional double orifice edge-to-edge repair or the implantation of artificial chordae, combined with ring annuloplasty, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.
Researchers at San Raffaele University Hospital in Milan undertook a long-term comparison between the two methods of degenerative MR repair and found no differences in outcomes in cases of bileaflet prolapse, whereas in isolated anterior leaflet prolapse, the double orifice repair actually appeared to be more effective.
Mitral valve repair is a very well-accepted modality to fix posterior leaflet prolapse, according to Dr. Marc Ruel, chief of cardiac surgery at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and a discussant on the paper at the meeting. But anterior mitral leaflet prolapse is a much more challenging operation, he said, and surgeons are looking for a “foolproof” way to address it.
“The double orifice repair, for most surgeons, is a much simpler procedure than doing artificial chordae, so this is good news,” Dr. Ruel said. “It shows that a fairly reproducible way of repairing the mitral valve seems to work as well, and likely better in some lesions, than the more complex way of addressing it.”
Dr. Ruel, who discusses the study in this video interview, reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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