Mitral valve repair with "Double Teflon" technique: 10-year results.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper is to present the late clinical results of mitral valve repair with the "Double Teflon" technique. METHODS "Double Teflon" technique consists of a quadrangular resection of the posterior leaflet, annulus plication with "pledgetted" stitches over a Teflon patch, and leaflet suture. Between 1994 and 2003, 133 patients with degenerative mitral insufficiency due to ruptured or elongated chordae in the posterior leaflet underwent repair with this technique. The mean patient age was 60.4 years and 60.9% patients were male. According to clinical evaluation, 29.3% of the patients were in New York Heart Association functional class IV, 55.7% in class III and 15.0% in class II. Associated techniques of mitral valve repair were used in 15.2% of the patients; the most common was chordal shortening. Twenty six (19.5%) patients had associated procedures. RESULTS There was one (0.75%) operative death. In the late postoperative period, 95.5% of the surviving patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I. Linearized rates of thromboembolism, reoperation and death were 0.9%, 0.3% and 0.6% patient/year, respectively. The actuarial survival at 10 years was 94.7% +/- 3.6%. Actuarial freedom from thromboembolism and reoperation were 97.3 +/- 1.5% and 99.2 +/-0.8%, respectively. There were no episodes of hemolysis or endocarditis. CONCLUSION Mitral valve repair with "Double Teflon" technique presents low morbimorbidity and good clinical late evolution.