Role of the phonocardiogram in evaluation of the severity of mitral stenosis and detection of associated valvular lesions.

SURGICAL TREATMENT has increased the life expectancy of patients with mitral stenosis and has favorably modified the natural course of the disease.1-5 Hence, there is a tendency to operate on patients without serious disability in order to prevent or delay the complications of systemic and pulmonary emboli, pulmonary hypertension, congestive heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. However, the long-term follow-up of patients after mitral valvotomy has established that the procedure usually benefits for a limited number of years only.6 With the passage of time, an increasing number of patients develop restenosis or other complications requiring repeated operations