Mitral Valve Repair
Unlike the aortic valve, many patients with mitral valve disease who require surgery will benefit most from mitral valve repair rather than replacement. Repairing a mitral valve confers many advantages including preserved heart function, reduced surgical mortality, and avoidance of anticoagulation. The procedure requires considerable experience.
“Our team are one of the most experienced in the United Kingdom” and have performed several hundred such procedures in several units including London and Essex over the last 10 years” Inder Birdi
The probability of repair depends upon a number of factors:
- Posterior leaflet prolapse 95% to 98% chance of repair
- Anterior leaflet prolapse 85% to 90% chance of repair
- Bileaflet prolapse 70% to 80% chance of repair
The presence of extensive leaflet calcification limits the quality of repair and is therefore only performed in highly selected cases. If the valve cannot be repaired, then mitral valve replacement will be required.
When we repair the mitral valve, we often implant a band or ring around the valve to secure the shape of the mitral valve opening:
Medtronic Mitral valve annuloplasty ring
