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Clinical Application of Homemade Flexible Annuloplasty Ring in Mitral Valve Repair

Abstract: Objective To summarize the clinical results of homemade flexible annuloplasty ring in mitral valve repair, in order to discuss the appropriate ring size. Methods Sixtysix patients (55 males,and 11 females with a mean age of 44.62±15.94 years) with mitral insufficiency underwent mitral valve repair with homemade flexible annuloplasty ring from April 2002 to November 2009 in Fu Wai Hospital. In order to choose the ring with an appropriate size, we made and kept to the following principles: if the intercommissural distance was bigger than size 30, we chose a ring 2size smaller; if the measured distance was smaller than size 30, 1size smaller ring would be chosen. Patients were followed by echocardiography to observe the mitral valve function. Results All patients were cured and discharged from the hospital. The results of echocardiography showed mild to moderate regurgitation in 1 patient, mild regurgitation in 11 patients, and normal mitral function or trace regurgitation in the rest 54 patients. Mitral valve forward velocity was 1.40±0.30 m/s with no mitral stenosis or systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the anterior mitral leaflet. Fiftyone patients were followed up from 2 months to 7 years(24.60±25.90 months). The results of echocardiography on 38 patients showed that 1 patient had moderate regurgitation, 5 patients had mild to moderate regurgitation, 9 patients had mild regurgitation and others had normal mitral function or trace regurgitation. For these 38 patients included in the followup study, mitral valve forward velocity was 1.50±0.40 m/s with no mitral stenosis, SAM or left ventricular outlet tract obstruction. During the followup, the left atrium size (43.19±10.48 mm vs. 48.59±9.40 mm, t=4.524, P=0.000) and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (52.64±7.35 mm vs. 6269±8.77 mm, t=7.607, P=0.000) decreased significantly than the preoperative size and diameter respectively.  The application of restrictive homemade flexible annuloplasty ring in mitral valve annuloplasty had satisfactory, durable and stable clinical results.