Mitral Valve Surgery

The Majority of mitral valves can be repaired. This includes almost all degenerative mitral valve conditions. The basic principal of mitral valve repair involve maintaining the integrity of the of the leaflets, getting them to close against each other to prevent regurgitation and supporting the ring or annulus of the valve to keep the leaflets functioning longterm.

All mitral valve repair incorporate the basic steps of:

  1. Transesophageal echocardiographic valve assesment.
  2. Surgical examination of the valve to further elucidate the valve defects
  3. Application of time tested surgical repair techniques to correct the valve defects
  4. Saline testing to asses mitral valve function in the resting heart
  5. Transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of the repair valve before completion of the procedure
  6. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination prior to hospital discharge