Contemporary techniques for mitral valve repair—the Mayo Clinic experience

Mitral valve repair for patients with degenerative or functional mitral valve regurgitation improves symptoms and prognosis, and several techniques have been described. Important principles in operation are simplicity, reproducibility, and durability of repair. At Mayo Clinic, we have operated on more than 6000 patients with degenerative mitral valve disease and valve prolapse, and this review details our approach to mitral valve repair, including robotic and minimally invasive techniques. Most patients with isolated leaflet prolapse can be managed with leaflet plication or triangular resection, and chordal replacement is reserved for repair of anterior leaflet prolapse. Posterior annuloplasty with a standard-sized flexible band is used to reduce annular circumference and improve leaflet coaptation. With these methods, early risk of mortality for mitral valve repair is low in the current era (< 1%), and rate of recurrent valve leakage is 1.5 per 100 patient-years during the first year post-repair and 0.9 per 100 patient-years thereafter. This paper also briefly summarizes important considerations for patients with mitral valve regurgitation and severe calcification, perforations due to endocarditis, and rheumatic heart disease.