repair of the mitral valve is the treatment of choice for mitral valve regurgitation when the anatomy is favorable. it is well known that mitral valve repair enjoys better clinical and functional results than any other type of valve substitute. this fact is beyond doubt regardless of the etiology of the valve lesion and is of particular importance in degenerative diseases. this review analyzes ...

OBJECTIVES We investigated the role of three-dimensional echocardiography in assessing mitral valve anatomy in greater detail in patients immediately before and after balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV). BACKGROUND Three-dimensional echocardiography is a recently developed, evolving imaging technique that allows visualization of intracardiac structures from any perspective. METHODS We studie...

Ortner's Syndrome is a rare clinical entity, first described in 1897.1 It describes left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy resulting from identifiable cardiovascular disease. For this reason it is also known as cardiovocal syndrome.2 The various underlying conditions includes mitral stenosis, septal defect, mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm.3 4'5 We present a case of left vocal cord paral...

Repair of posterior left ventricular ischemic aneurysms implies an extracardiac approach to reshape the ventricular geometry frequently associated with mitral surgery. A transatrial technique was described for lesions following mitral surgery or for subvalvular idiopathic cases. A transmitral approach was used for ischemic or traumatic pseudoaneurysm. We describe a case of postinfarction poster...

Congenital heart valve cyst is a rare and asymptomatic condition mostly seen in the mitral and tricuspid valves (1). In some cases, surgery is required as these cysts may cause obstruction, valve dysfunction, and sometimes embolism (2, 3). We think that if a heart valve cyst is asymptomatic and does not alter valve function, periodic evaluation with echocardiography is a feasible option. Here w...

Seven patients with advanced mitral valve disease and systemic pulmonary hypertension subjected to mitral valve replacement without survival are presented here with the common denominator or the characteristic additional finding of aneurysmal dilatation of the pulmonary artery. During the same period 16 other patients with similar degree of valvular dysfunction and systemic pulmonary hypertensi...

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation and transcatheter mitral valve repair (MitraClip) procedures have been performed worldwide. In this paper, we review the use of two-dimensional and three-dimensional transesophageal echo for guiding transcatheter aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair.

The patient is a 75-year-old man with a history significant for hypertension and congestive heart failure who underwent a bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement secondary to acute onset of aortic insufficiency. Cultures of the native valve were positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis sensitive to nafcillin and intravenous cefazolin was initiated. On postoperative day 24, he developed acute deco...

We report a case of infective endocarditis due to Neisseria sicca complicated by intracranial and popliteal aneurysms and hepatic and splenic infarcts in a patient with a bicuspid aortic valve. No predisposing factor other than poor dental condition was found. The patient fully recovered after antibiotic therapy, aortic and mitral valve replacement, endovascular occlusion of the middle-cerebral...