Successful Repair of a Mitral Valve Aneurysm With Cleft of Anterior Mitral Leaflet in an Adult

A 40-year-old woman was admitted with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and atrial fibrillation. Preoperative 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated severe MR with an unruptured mitral valve aneurysm and a cleft. The stiff cleft edge was removed and closed directly, and plication of the aneurysm was added. After the implantation of a semirigid full ring, there was no residual MR. An adult patient with MR involving an unruptured mitral valve aneurysm with a cleft not associated with infection or a congenital anomaly is extremely rare. The 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography modality is useful for mitral valve repair because it provides precise anatomic information preoperatively. (C) 2013 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons