Surgical Considerations in the Management of Significant Acute Mitral Regurgitation Following Mitral Valvotomy

Abstract

Repair of the mitral valve should be the primary goal in the surgical management of acute mitral regurgitation following valvotomy. The earlier the repair is done, the better it is because the preoperative haemodynamics affect the overall outcome. The disadvantages and anticoagulation of prosthetic valves are avoided. Besides, it is economical to avoid the high cost of the prosthetic valves in a poor socio-economic group of patients. With good patient selection and additional effort by the surgeon to acquire the necessary expertise to reproduce the techniques of mitral valve repair, a superior quality of life can be offered to these patients. The present study is a retrospective analysis of 14 patients who required emergency open heart surgery following balloon or closed mitral valvotomy. The valve was successfully repaired in 8 patients. The medium term follow-up indicates that repair is reproducible, safe, reliable, and a stable procedure free of complications.