Partial Hammock Valve: Surgical Repair and Long-Term Follow-Up in 23 Patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Cardiac Surgery

Background:

• Partial hammock valve is a rare congenital anomaly affecting the mitral valve.
• It is characterized by anomalous, hypertrophied, and fused papillary muscles beneath the posterior mitral leaflet.
• This anomaly can lead to restricted leaflet motion and mitral regurgitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the surgical techniques used for partial hammock valve repair.
• To report the long-term outcomes of patients who underwent surgical correction.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the described repair methods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 23 patients (19 adults, 4 children) operated on between 1995 and 2017.
• Surgical repair involved posterior leaflet enlargement using bovine pericardium patches and splitting of fused papillary muscles.
• Adult patients received prosthetic rings; secondary chordae were sometimes cut.

Main Results:

• Successful repair was achieved in all 23 patients.
• Hospital mortality was 4.3% (1 patient).
• At a mean follow-up of 7 years, 70% actuarial survival was observed, with no patient experiencing grade II or higher mitral regurgitation and no reoperations.

Conclusions:

• Patch enlargement of the posterior leaflet is an effective surgical technique for partial hammock valve.
• This method provides a safe and reliable long-term repair for mitral regurgitation caused by this rare congenital anomaly.