Changes in Surgical Treatment of Mitral Valve Disease in Our Department

The surgical procedures used to treat mitral valve disease have changed in the last 30 years. The aim of this study was to assess trends in surgical procedures for mitral valve disease at the Jikei University Hospital. From 1972 to 2003,770 patients with mitral valve disease underwent one of following procedures in our department:closed mitral commissurotomy,open mitral commissurotomy,mitral valve replacement and mitral valve plasty. The number of patients with mitral valve disease has decreased since the 1980s,because of a decrease in the incidence of rheumatic valvular disease. The surgical procedures have changed with the causes of mitral valve disease. As a result, the incidence of degenerative and ischemic mitral regurgitation has increased,and mitral valve plasty has been performed more often. (Jikeikai Med J 2004;51:97-103)