[Open mitral commissurotomy. Indications and results]

We have reviewed the clinical history of 106 patients that were done an open mitral commissurotomy from june 1971 to march 1974. Hospital mortality was less than 1% and morbility was low. The patients average age was 40 years. Fifteen patients had suffered a previous closed mitral commissurotomy, and systemic embolism occurred in 62.2% of them. Ninety eight of the surviving patients have been followed; 80.6% of them had improved by at least one degree of the N.Y.H.A. functional scale. According to these results we have widened the indications for open mitral commissurotomy. However, we still use the closed technique in young patients without previous mitrol commissurotomy or past history of system embolism, which no fluoroscopic evidence of mitral valve calcifications and without associated valvular lesions.