Valvular heart disease is the common cardiac manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with a tendency for mitral valve regurgitation. In this study we report a case of mitral valve replacement for mitral stenosis caused by Libman-Sacks endocarditis in the setting of SLE. In addition, we provide a systematic review of the literature on mitral valve surgery in the presence of Libman-Sa...

isolated mitral valve surgery Selecting patients with mitral regurgitation and left ventricular dysfunction for

A 45-year-old female Jehovah’s Witness patient was diagnosed with Lutembacher syndrome, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV congestive heart failure (CHF), and severe malnutrition. An echocardiogram showed a 38 mm diameter ostium secundum atrial septal defect with a mitral valve area of 0.5 cm2 and a Wilkins score of 10. The patient had severe pulmonary hypertension at an estimated syst...

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS The long-term results after surgical repair of rheumatic mitral valve remain controversial in literature. Our aim was to determine the predictive factors which impact the long-term results after isolated rheumatic mitral valve repair and to evaluate the effect of those factors on reoperation and late mortality. METHODS One hundred and four patients with rheumatic valve d...

and learned a lot about the importance of repair for mitral valve. Besides, we have attended a lot of meetings describing several repair techniques for different pathologies. Both European and American guidelines offer mitral valve repair whenever it is possible and they even do not suggest surgery under some circumstances if the likelihood of successful repair is not more than 95%. Papers from...

Dear Sir, Timing of surgery in chronic mitral valve regurgitation has been a long term matter of debate. Data from European Society of Cardiology suggest that a number close to 36 % of surgical treatment in mitral valve regurgitation is performed too early or too late according to guidelines suggestions (Iung et al., 2003). Bileaflet mitral valve prolapse (Barlow’s disease) as correctly reporte...

OBJECTIVES To critically review the learning curve, safety issues and outcome of a single surgeon while starting up minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS). METHODS We performed a descriptive, retrospective study of 138 patients with minimally invasive mitral valve surgery between March 2004 and December 2010. The learning curve was assessed using a logarithmic curve-fit regression an...

In order to investigate the functional effects of mitral valve surgery, echocardiograms showing left ventricular dimension were recorded and digitised in 14 normal subjects and 129 patients after mitral valve surgery. Measurements were made of peak rate of increase of dimension (dD/dt) and duration of rapid filling, studies on left ventriculograms in 36 patients having shown close correlation b...

AIMS Secondary involvement of the mitral valve is well documented in primary aortic valve endocarditis. A poorly considered, but probably important causative mechanism, involving both left-sided valves, is 'mitral kissing vegetation'. This results from large aortic vegetations prolapsing into the left ventricular outflow tract and making contact with the ventricular aspect of the anterior mitra...