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Mitral Valve Replacement in Patients After Aortic Valve Replacement
Author(s) -
Elami Amir,
Rudis Ehud,
Merin Gideon
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of cardiac surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.428
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1540-8191
pISSN - 0886-0440
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8191.1999.tb00959.x
Subject(s) - medicine , mitral valve replacement , surgery , thoracotomy , mitral valve , prosthesis , aortic valve replacement , aortic valve , cardiology , stenosis
Background: Mitral valve replacement in patients who previously had undergone aortic valve replacement is a technical challenge. The rigid aortic prosthesis limits visualization of the anterior mitral annulus and placement of sutures. Methods: Reoperative mitral valve replacement was performed in five patients after aortic valve replacement. Two patients underwent resternotomy to allow verification of normal aortic prosthetic valve function. Anterolateral right thoracotomy was used for reentry in the remaining three patients. Exposure of the anterior mitral annulus was accomplished by initial traction on the intact anterior leaflet, with resection of this leaflet only after placement of sutures. Results: All patients survived the surgical procedure and are well 2 to 30 months after operation. In one patient it was impossible to open one cusp of the mitral prosthesis, nor was it possible to rotate the valve. The valve was reimplanted, but sutures were tied only after testing for full free cusp motion. Conclusions: When appropriate, right thoracotomy incision offers excellent exposure of the mitral valve with minimal dissection. Placement of sutures along the anterior portion of the annulus is facilitated by traction downwards on the anterior leaflet. Full range of motion of the prosthetic cusps should be verified before tying the sutures.