Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy and Lutembacher syndrome

INTRODUCTION: Lutembacher syndrome refers to the rare combination of congenital atrial septal defect and acquired mitral stenosis. This condition is usually treated surgically by mitral valve operation with concomitant closure of the atrial septal defect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1993 and 2003, 4 patients with congenital Lutembacher syndrome had percutaneous mitral commissurotomy without closure of the atrial septal defect at our institution. The 4 patients were very symptomatic with right-sided heart failure signs and NYHA functional class III-IV. RESULTS: The procedure was carried out successfully for the four patients. Mitral valve area increased from 0.87 to 1.97 cm2 at mean; left atrial pressure decreased from 28.2 to 12.7 mmHg and the mean valve mitral gradient was reduced from 15.5 to 3.9 mmHg. Functional and clinical improvement was observed in all the cases. During a mean follow up of 55 +/- 29 months, our 4 patients remain pauci symptomatic under medical treatment. CONCLUSION: The percutaneous treatment of the Lutembacher syndrome is currently a possible alternative to the surgery among patients having an anatomy favourable to the procedure.     

Balloon mitral valvuloplasty: Our experience with a modified technique of crossing the mitral valve in difficult cases

The efficacy and safety of percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy performed by the Inoue technique is well known. In cases with critical mitral stenosis and when there is abnormal bulge of the interatrial septum, the usual direct method of crossing the mitral valve may not be successful. In such cases alternative over-the-wire techniques to cross the mitral valve have been advocated by various authors. In this report of 32 cases, we present our experience with the modified and simplified version of over-the-wire technique of crossing the mitral valve in technically difficult cases. This technique involves direct positioning of a pigtail Inoue wire into the left ventricle through the Mullin sheath followed by introduction of an Inoue catheter over the wire. The mitral valve could be crossed in 30 cases (93.75%). There were no major complications attributable to this technique. Frequent ventricular premature beats (100%) and episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (90%) were seen in most of the cases. We conclude that our modification of the over-the-wire technique is safe, effective, and does not require any additional accessories. Using this technique, percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy could be performed, even in difficult cases wherein the conventional method of crossing the mitral valve has failed. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 44:23–26, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Transcatheter treatment of a case of Lutembacher syndrome.

Lutembacher syndrome refers to the rare combination of congenital atrial septal defect and acquired mitral stenosis. This condition is usually treated by mitral valve operation with concomitant closure of the atrial septal defect. We describe a case of Lutembacher syndrome that was treated successfully with percutaneous transcatheter mitral commissurotomy using the Inoue balloon and closure of the atrial septal defect with the Amplatzer atrial septal defect occluder.     

Value and limitations of Doppler echocardiographic determination of mitral valve area in Lutembacher syndrome.

OBJECTIVES. Our objective was to compare the Doppler pressure half-time, Doppler continuity equation and two-dimensional echocardiographic planimetric methods of estimating mitral valve area in Lutembacher syndrome. BACKGROUND. Fluid dynamics theory predicts that mitral pressure half-time varies inversely with mitral valve area and directly with net chamber compliance and the peak early diastolic transmitral gradient in pure mitral stenosis. The effects of an atrial shunt on these interrelations have not been investigated. METHODS. Correlation and agreement between mitral valve area estimates obtained by the three methods and that obtained by cardiac catheterization was ascertained in 11 patients with Lutembacher syndrome. RESULTS. Valve areas determined by planimetry and the continuity equation method correlated and agreed well with catheterization measurements (r = 0.83 and 0.81, respectively). The pressure half-time method consistently overestimated mitral valve area; the extent of overestimation was greater in patients with larger atrial shunts. The hemodynamic pressure half-time was independent of the mitral valve area, chamber compliance and the peak transmitral gradient. It was dependent on the magnitude of the atrial shunt, although the correlation obtained was only fair (r = 0.61). CONCLUSIONS. These findings suggest that the Doppler pressure half-time method is an inaccurate measure of mitral valve area whenever an atrial shunt coexists with mitral stenosis. Planimetry and the Doppler continuity equation methods yield accurate estimates of mitral valve area in Lutembacher syndrome.     

Percutaneous mitral valve repair: A new treatment for mitral regurgitation

Mitral valve disease affects more than 4 million people in the United States. The gold standard of treatment in these patients is surgical repair or replacement of the valve with a prosthesis. The MitraClip (Abbott Vascular, Menlo Park, CA) is a new technology, which offers an alternative to open surgical repair or replacement via a minimally invasive route. We present an evidence-based clinical update that provides an overview of this technology as it relates to managing patients with significant mitral regurgitation. This review article is particularly useful to noninterventional cardiologists and interventional cardiologists who will be managing patients with this novel technology in increased volumes over the next decade but who do not perform this procedure.     

鲁登巴赫综合征的外科治疗

目的 :总结鲁登巴赫综合征外科治疗经验。方法 :自 1992年 12月至 2 0 0 0年 6月手术治疗鲁登巴赫综合征 12例 ,其中房间隔缺损均为先天性 ,二尖瓣病变先天性 2例 ,风湿性 10例。单纯二尖瓣狭窄 8例 ,二尖瓣狭窄合并闭锁不全 4例。房缺直接缝合 8例 ,补片修补 4例。二尖瓣换瓣 9例 ,直视成形 3例。三尖瓣Devega成形 10例。结果 :围术期无死亡。 12例随访 6～ 90个月 ,1例二尖瓣成形术后 3年再次手术换瓣 ,余 11例恢复顺利。心功能恢复为Ⅰ级者 8例 ,Ⅱ级者 4例。结论 :鲁登巴赫综合征应尽早手术。正确选择处理二尖瓣病变手术方式 ,加强围术期处理 ,防治肺动脉高压危象和左心室功能衰竭是手术成功的关键     

Percutaneous mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation (MR) associated with, ischemic, and degenerative (prolapse) disease, contributes to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to remodeling, and LV dilation, resulting in worsening of MR. Mitral valve (MV) surgical repair has provided improvement in survival, LV function and symptoms, especially when performed early. Surgical repair is complex, due to diverse etiologies and has significant complications. The Society for Thoracic Surgery database shows that operative mortality for a 1st repair is 2% and for re-do repair is 4 times that. Cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac arrest are required. The attendant morbidity prolongs hospitalization and recovery. Alfieri simplified mitral repair using an edge-to-edge technique which subsequently has been shown to be effective for multiple etiologies of MR. The MV leaflers are typically brought together by a central suture producing a double orifice MV without stenosis. Umana reported that MR decreased from grade 3.6 +/- 0.5 to 0.8 +/- 0.4 (P < 0.0001) and LV ejection fraction increased from 33 +/- 13% to 45 +/- 11% (P = 0.0156). In 121 patients, Maisano reported freedom from re-operation of 95 +/- 4.8% with up to 6 year follow-up. Oz developed a MV "grasper" that is directly placed via a left ventriculotomy and coapts both leaflets which are then fastened by a graduated spiral screw. An in-vitro model using explanted human valves showed significant reduction in MR and in canine studies, animals followed by serial echo had persistent MV coaptation. At 12 weeks the device was endothelialized. These promising results have paved the way for a percutaneous or minimally invasive-off pump mitral repair. Evalve has developed catheter-based technology, which, by apposing the edges of a regurgitant MV, results in edge-to-edge repair. Release of the device is done after echo and fluoroscopic evaluation under normal loading conditions. If the desired effect is not produced the device can be repositioned or retrieved. Animal studies show excellent healing, with incorporation of the device into the leaflets at 6-10 weeks with persistent coaptation. Another percutaneous approach has been to utilize the proximity of the coronary sinus (CS) to the mitral annulus (MA). Placement of a self-compressing device in the CS along the region of the posterior MA has, in canine models, reduced MR and addresses the issues of MA dilation and its contribution to MR. Ongoing studies are underway for both techniques.     

Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair

In the past few years, a myriad of technologies have been developed for percutaneous repair of the mitral valve for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and at high risk for traditional open-heart mitral valve surgery. Among them, MitraClip has emerged as the only clinically safe and effective method for percutaneous mitral valve repair. This device mimics the surgical edge-to-edge mitral valve repair initially described by Dr. Alfieri. In this article, we review the current clinical evidence on the use of the MitraClip—from the randomized control trial EVEREST II to the information derived from expert high-volume centers.     

Aortic and mitral valve replacement through a single transverse aortotomy: a useful approach in difficult mitral valve exposure

Replacement of the mitral valve through a standard vertical left atriotomy in patients requiring both aortic and mitral valve replacement can be very difficult. This is especially true in patients who have undergone previous median sternotomy. Replacement of the mitral valve through the aortic root after excision of the aortic valve is described in two case reports. This is a convenient approach when traditional exposure of the mitral valve is impractical in patients requiring double valve replacement.     

Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy in a patient with prosthetic aortic valve.

Patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease who have undergone valve surgery may present later with progression of disease in other valves. We report a case of successful percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) in a 58-year-old male who underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with a No. 23 Bj?rk-Shiley valve for severe rheumatic aortic regurgitation in 1982. At AVR, echocardiography revealed mild mitral stenosis (MS) and mitral valve area (MVA) 2.5 cm2. Over 18 years, the mitral valve disease progressed to severe MS and the patient presented with class III exertional dyspnea. He underwent successful PTMC (Inoue balloon technique). Post-procedure echocardiography revealed a MVA of 2.0cm2 and grade II mitral regurgitation. Anticoagulation management, infective endocarditis prophylaxis and procedural modifications are discussed.