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Mitral valve repair using a flexible and adjustable annuloplasty ring
M E Gorton1, J M Piehler, D A Killen
1Mid America Heart Institute, St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|April 1, 1993
Summary
A new flexible and adjustable mitral annuloplasty ring, the BiFlex ring, demonstrated successful mitral valve repair in most patients. Its adjustability proved beneficial for reducing residual regurgitation, leading to excellent short-term and late outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Biomaterials in Medical Devices
Background:
- Mitral regurgitation is a common valvular heart disease requiring surgical intervention.
- Current mitral annuloplasty techniques aim for durable valve repair.
- A need exists for adjustable annuloplasty devices to optimize repair outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the initial clinical experience with the novel BiFlex mitral annuloplasty ring.
- To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the BiFlex ring in mitral valve repair.
Main Methods:
- The BiFlex ring was implanted in 21 consecutive patients undergoing elective mitral valve repair for regurgitation.
- Standard mitral valve repair techniques were employed alongside the ring implantation.
- Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography assessed repair adequacy.
- Patient outcomes were monitored up to 1 year post-surgery.
Main Results:
- Successful mitral valve repair was achieved in 20 out of 21 patients (95.2%).
- Ring adjustability was utilized in 9 patients to effectively reduce or eliminate residual regurgitation.
- Excellent intraoperative results were confirmed by echocardiography.
- Late follow-up up to 1 year showed comparable results in all but one patient.
Conclusions:
- The BiFlex ring offers a flexible prosthesis with the significant advantage of intraoperative adjustability.
- This adjustability can optimize mitral valve repair and improve patient outcomes.
- The BiFlex ring shows promise as a valuable tool in mitral valve surgery.