Transventricular mitral valve repair in patients with acute forms of ischemic mitral regurgitation

Transventricular mitral valve surgery combined with left ventricular restoration avoids atriotomy and provides a larger operative field. We describe a series of 5 patients in whom we performed transventricular mitral valve repair by various techniques, such as band annuloplasty, papillary muscle reattachment, chordal cutting, and edge-to-edge repair. The more acute forms of ischemic mitral regurgitation, as found in our patients, can coexist with post-myocardial infarction contained rupture or post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal rupture. Because these patients already have an indication for ventriculotomy, concomitant transventricular repair of the mitral valve can render a separate atriotomy unnecessary and thereby shorten the duration of cardiopulmonary bypass. Moreover, in patients with acute presentations, the absence of atrial dilation (this last associated with chronic cases) might make transventricular repair a better choice than the more difficult atrial approach.