How is the mitral valve repaired?
Many mitral valve repair techniques have been developed. The method chosen for any particular valve depends largely on the anatomic abnormality that has caused the valve to leak. One of the most common disease of the mitral valve is known as mitral valve prolapse. In this condition one or both of the mitral valve leaflets swings too far backwards during each heartbeat such that the leaflets do not close properly, allowing blood to leak between them. Repair techniques for this condition attempt to reestablish proper closing of the mitral leaflets by cutting out extra leaflet tissue, fixating the two prolapsing leaflets together, replacing or adjusting the valve suspension mechanism, and placing a prosthetic strut around the valve. All repairs require the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, otherwise known as “the heart-lung machine.” This permits the surgeon to safely open the left atrium and access the mitral valve in a relatively bloodless field. In most cases, the heart is also stopped fo
