The edge-to-edge technique was introduced in the surgical armamentarium of mitral valve repair in 1991 and has progressively been used to restore mitral competence in the setting of degenerative, post-endocarditis and functional mitral regurgitation. Appropriate indications and awareness of the important technical aspects of the procedure are prerequisites for a good outcome. The free edges of ...

BACKGROUND Apical ballooning syndrome (or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy) is a syndrome of transient left ventricular apical ballooning. Although first described in Japanese patients, it is now well reported in the Caucasian population. The syndrome mimicks an acute myocardial infarction but is characterised by the absence of obstructive coronary disease. We describe a serious and poorly understood c...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Symptomatic mitral regurgitation has an unfavorable prognosis unless treated by surgery. However, the European registry of valvular heart disease reports that 49% of patients with this condition do not undergo surgery. Percutaneous treatment of mitral regurgitation with MitraClip® has been proved a safe, efficient adjunct to medical treatment in patients with this pr...

Congenital heart diseases are broadly defined as those cardiac anomalies that are present at birth. By their very nature, such defects have their origin in embryonic development. Congenital mitral valve regurgitation is a rare disease occurring in infancy or childhood. In up to 60% of cases, congenital anomalies of the mitral valve occur in association with other cardiac lesions, and often more...

Isolated-congenital mitral regurgitation is infrequently seen in adults. In its mechanism, the entire mitral apparatus or different components separately can play a role [Gallet B. Use of echocardiography in mitral regurgitation for the assessment of its mechanism and aetiology for the morphological analysis of the mitral valve. Ann Cardiol Angeiol 2003;52(2):70-7; Valdes-Cruz LM, O'Cayre R. Ec...

We report successful mitral valve repair in a patient with porcelain aorta, complicated by aortic regurgitation, severe cerebrovascular disease, and multiple cerebral infarctions. The patient was a 77-year-old male who had congestive heart failure as a result of severe mitral regurgitation. Mitral valve repair was performed without aortic cross-clamping, using moderate hypothermic cardiopulmona...

To determine whether left ventricular (LV) end systole and end ejection uncouple in patients with long-term mitral regurgitation, 59 patients (22 control patients with atypical chest pain, 21 patients with aortic regurgitation, and 16 patients with mitral regurgitation) were studied with micromanometer LV catheters and radionuclide angiograms. End systole was defined as the time of occurrence (...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Patients with heart failure and similar left ventricular systolic dysfunction have differing exercise capacity. The aim of this study was to identify echocardiographic predictors of exercise capacity in patients with heart failure and systolic dysfunction. METHODS We included 150 patients with class II (70%) or III (30%) heart failure with left ventricular ejection...

Hemolytic anemia following mitral valve repair and annular ring placement is uncommon compared with mitral valve replacement. A 60-year-old man, who had undergone mitral valve repair with a Duran ring, developed hemolytic anemia and needed a blood transfusion. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a paravalvular mitral regurgitation jet colliding with the Duran ring. Most cases of severe he...

The effects of erythropoietin administration on mitral regurgitation in patients with congestive heart failure have not yet been examined. After 2 months, erythropoietin treatment results in a significant reduction in left ventricular volumes and mitral regurgitation severity and improves hemodynamics.