Anterior leaflet procedures during mitral valve repair do not adversely influence long-term outcome

Objectives. This study was done to assess the impact of anterior mitral leaflet reconstructive procedures on initial and long-term results of mitral valve repair.Background. It has been suggested that involvement of the anterior leaflet in mitral valve disease adversely affects the long-term outcome of mitral valve repair. Our policy has been to aggressively repair such anterior leaflets with procedures that include triangular resections in some cases.Methods. From June 1979 through June 1993, 558 consecutive Carpentier-type mitral valve repairs were performed. The anterior mitral leaflet and chordae tendineae were repaired in 156 patients (mean age 58 years). The procedures included anterior chordal shortening in 78 patients (50%), anterior leaflet resections in 44 (28%), resuspension of the anterior leaflet to secondary chordae in 42 (27%) and anterior chordal transposition in 27 (17%). Concomitant cardiac surgical procedures were performed in 75 patients (48%).Results. The operative mortality rate was 2.5% (2 of 81) for isolated mitral valve anterior leaflet repair and 3.8% (6 of 156) for all mitral valve anterior leaflet repair. Freedom from reoperation at 5 and 10 years was, respectively, 89.7% (n = 160) and 83.4% (n = 24) for the entire series of 558 patients, 91.9% (n = 51) and 81.2% (n = 10) for patients with anterior leaflet procedures, 88.8% (n = 109) and 84.4% (n = 14) for patients without anterior leaflet procedures and 91.7% (n = 118) and 88.9% (n = 18) for patients without rheumatic disease. Logistic regression showed that rheumatic origin of disease (odds ratio 2.99), but not anterior leaflet repair, increased the risk for reoperation.Conclusions. These results demonstrate that expansion of mitral valve techniques to include anterior leaflet disease yields immediate and long-term results equal to those seen in patients with posterior leaflet disease.