The mitral valve is a left sided valve that is present between the left atrium and collecting chamber and the left ventricle or the pumping chamber. It is made of two leaflets suspended like a parachute by chords attached to the heart muscle. The valve is commonly affected by degenerative disease in the west and by rheumatic heart disease in the developing world. Previously surgeons used to replace the valve and now the trend is more towards retaining what God’s given us and to repair as far as possible.
Mitral valve repair surgery is now a reality for most type of diseases and has good long term results. The major advantage of this surgery by retaining native tissue we avoid the need for anticoagulation. The operation has the same longevity as valve replacement surgery and costs much less. The different types of mitral valve repair surgery are as follows
Posterior quadrangular resection:
Goretex chord implantation:
Pericardial patch augmentation:
Commissurotomies / commisuroplasties:
Ring Annuloplasties:
