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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Fully Endoscopic Mitral Valve Repair with Percutaneous Cannulation of Groin Vessels
Published on: May 26, 2023
Repair for Congenital Mitral Valve Stenosis
Eva Maria Delmo Walter1, Roland Hetzer2
1Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Insights
Mitral valve (MV) repair offers satisfactory long-term outcomes for children with congenital mitral stenosis (CMS). Repeat interventions may be necessary, but survival rates remain encouraging throughout follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Surgery
- Valvular Heart Disease
Background:
- Congenital mitral stenosis (CMS) is a rare but serious heart defect in children.
- Surgical repair of the mitral valve (MV) is the primary treatment for CMS.
- Understanding the long-term outcomes of MV repair is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the techniques and long-term outcomes of mitral valve repair in pediatric patients with congenital mitral stenosis.
- To assess survival rates and freedom from reoperation after MV repair for CMS.
- To analyze the functional results of MV repair in different morphological types of CMS.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 137 children undergoing MV repair for CMS between 1986 and 2014.
- Classification of CMS into four types based on morphology (typical, hypoplastic, supravalvar ring, parachute/hammock).
- Surgical techniques included commissurotomy, chordal division, papillary muscle splitting, and mitral ring resection tailored to morphology.
Main Results:
- At 1 and 15 years postoperatively, freedom from reoperation was 89.3% and 52.8%, respectively.
- Cumulative survival rates at 1 and 15 years were 92.3% and 70.3%, respectively.
- Mortality unrelated to repair accounted for 20% of deaths; 23 patients required repeat MV repair, and 3 underwent replacement.
Conclusions:
- Mitral valve repair provides satisfactory long-term functional outcomes for children with congenital mitral stenosis.
- While repeat repair or replacement may be necessary, MV repair remains a viable option for CMS.
- Tailoring surgical techniques to specific CMS morphologies can optimize results.
Abstract:
We report the techniques and long-term outcome of mitral valve (MV) repair to correct congenital mitral stenosis in children. Between 1986 and 2014, 137 children (mean age 4.1 ± 5.0, range 1 month-16.8 years) underwent repair of congenital mitral stenosis (CMS). In 48 patients, CMS is involved in Shone's anomaly. The typical congenital MS (type I) was seen in 56 patients. Hypoplastic MV (type II, n = 15) was associated with severe left ventricular outflow tract abnormalities and hypoplastic left ventricular cavity and muscle mass. Supravalvar ring (type III, n = 48) ranged from a thin membrane to a thick discrete fibrous ridge. Parachute MV (type IV, n = 10) have 2 leaflets and barely distinguishable commissures, but all chordae merged either into 1 major papillary muscle or asymmetric papillary muscles-1 dominant and the other minuscule. Hammock valve (type IV, n = 8) appeared dysplastic with shortened chordae directly inserted into the posterior left ventricular muscle mass. MV repair was performed using commissurotomy, chordal division, papillary muscle splitting and fenestration, and mitral ring resection, each applied according to the presenting morphology. During the 28-year follow-up period, 23 patients underwent repeat MV repair and 3 underwent MV replacement after failed attempts at repeat repair. At 1 and 15 years postoperatively, freedom from reoperation was 89.3 ± 5.1% and 52.8 ± 11.8%, and cumulative survival rates were 92.3 ± 4.3% and 70.3 ± 8.9, respectively. Mortality unrelated to repair accounted for 9 (20%) deaths. Long-term functional outcome of MV repair in children with CMS is satisfactory. Repeat repair or replacement may be deemed necessary during the course of follow-up.
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