Surgical Correction of Mitral Incompetence Resulting from Bacterial Endocarditis.

The surgical correction of mitral incompetence by internal reconstruction of the valve ring and the cusps has proved disappointing (Effier et al., 1958; Merendino et al., 1959) and has been followed by attempts at partial or total valve replacement (Braunwald, Cooper, and Morrow, 1960). While our experience with internal reconstructive procedures in patients with severe rheumatic mitral incompetence, with or without some degree of stenosis, has also proved unsatisfactory with a failure rate of about 50 per cent, more encouraging results have been obtained in patients with mitral incompetence following bacterial endocarditis. It seems that these patients are relatively favourable candidates for simple reconstruction of the valve. Three such cases are here reported.