Valve repair for mitral regurgitation due to ruptured chordae tendineae--repaired valve function and late results]

Among 21 consecutive patients with significant mitral regurgitation due to ruptured chordae tendineae operated by an author (K.M.) between March, 1980 and August, 1990, the 18 patients who underwent mitral valve repair were studied to assess the repaired valve function and late results of the repair. The chordal rupture was due to idiopathic degenerative disease in 14 patients, infective endocarditis in three and trauma in one. Patients' ages ranged from 35 to 70 years (mean age 52). Nine patients were in New York Heart Association class II and the remaining nine in class III. In three patients with ruptured chordae of the anterior mitral leaflet, reconstruction of the chordae with xenograft pericardium was performed in two patients and partial closure of a commissure in one. In 15 patients with ruptured chordae of the posterior leaflet, Kay's repair was performed in 13 patients and leaflet resection technique in two. In addition to the chordal and leaflet repairs, Kay's mitral annuloplasty was performed in all. There was no hospital death and all patients showed significant hemodynamic improvement (systolic pulmonary arterial pressure from 43 +/- 20 mmHg preoperatively to 24 +/- 4 mmHg postoperatively, and pulmonary arterial wedge pressure from 17 +/- 10 mmHg to 6 +/- 3 mmHg, p less than 0.001 respectively). The repaired valves showed mild pressure gradient of 3.1 +/- 1.2 mmHg which was significantly lower than the gradient of 6.6 +/- 3.5 mmHg of SJM prostheses. Residual murmur was documented in six patients, in three of whom, however, the murmur disappeared within one year following the operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)