Significance of echocardiographic evaluation on surgery to mitral stenosis

1) Diastolic descent rate (DDR) of the anterior mitral leaflet improved after the surgery. However, this improvement was not modified with a) atrial fibrillation b) damages of the subvalvular supporting tissue c) valvular calcification d) the method of the operation, namely the open or closed commissurotomy. 2) DDR was fairly well correlated with the mitral orifice area, the cardiac output and the pressure gradient across the mitral valve. Therefore, the echocardiographic diagnosis and the follow up evaluation of the mitral stenosis after the surgery were thought to be very reliable, considering the accuracy of this diagnosis as disclosed in this study. The contributory effect to DDR was discussed.