Repair of degenerative mitral regurgitation: An update

The recent development of catheter-based therapies for structural valve disease, such as mitral-TAVI, MitraClip and left atrial appendage occlusion devices, makes a review of surgery for degenerative mitral valve disease timely. In this personal perspective we discuss the evolution of mitral valve repair, the core principles involved and the evidence base behind it through the lens of a single UK-based surgical team operating for a quarter century, illustrating the techniques, outcomes and some of the pitfalls of intervention.