OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effects of mitral valve repair for the treatment of the anterior leaflet prolapse of mitral valve.

METHODSFrom November 1998 to October 2007, 210 patients with severe anterior leaflet prolapse of mitral valve underwent valve repair. The condition of valve was preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative assessed with echocardiography.

RESULTSEdge-to-edge repair technique was used in 134 cases (63.8%). The cardiac function was NYHA class I in 168 cases and class II in 40 cases after operation. Patients were followup for 1 - 150 (25.7 +/- 29.0) months, two patients (0.95%) died of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome. Echocardiography examination indicated that the mean JP2 postoperative left atrial diameter was (37.7 +/- 9.2) mm against the preoperative value of (47.5 +/- 12.7) mm (P < 0.05), the mean postoperative left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was (51.7 +/- 7.9) mm against the preoperative value of (67.7 +/- 10.3) mm (P < 0.05), the mean postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction was (62.2 +/- 3.2)% against the preoperative value of (52.2 +/- 6.4)% (P < 0.05), and the mean preoperative regurgitation area was (10.4 +/- 4.1) cm(2) against the postoperative value of (4.1 +/- 1.7) cm(2) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSOptimal outcome was achieved by appropriate edge-to-edge technique or other mitral valve repair techniques for anterior leaflet prolapse of mitral valve. Edge-to-edge technique is a reliable and efficient surgical technique.