Methods: Between January 2007 and November 2016, a total of 128 patients (72 males, 56 females; mean age 51.8±17.2 years; range 16 to 84 years) who underwent mitral valve repair in our heart center were retrospectively analyzed. There were mitral regurgitation in 86.7% (n=111), mitral stenosis in 7.8% (n=10), and mixed type valve disease in 5.5% of the patients (n=7). Mitral ring annuloplasty was performed in 80.5% (n=103), implantation of the artificial chordae in 36.7% (n=47), open mitral commissurotomy in 13.3% (n=17), and Alfieri procedure in 6.3% (n=8) of the patients. Sixty-two patients (48.8%) underwent isolated mitral valve repair, while concomitant surgical procedures were performed in the remaining patients. Postoperative mean follow-up was 52 months.

Results: Early (30-day) mortality was observed in seven patients due to low cardiac output. There was no mid-term mortality. During follow-up, various degree of mitral regurgitation was detected in 4 patients (3.6%), regurgitation was severe in two of them and these two require reoperation with the replacement of the valve. Patients with a myxomatous valve pathology who underwent isolated valve repair most benefited from valve repair. Patients with isolated mitral stenosis were the most successful group among the patients with a rheumatic etiology. Postoperative echocardiography showed a significant decrease in the left atrial diameter and pulmonary artery systolic pressures (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Mitral valve repair can be applied as an effective and safe treatment method in patients in whom the mitral valve anatomy is sufficient for repair. We suggest that each patient with mitral valve pathology should be evaluated in terms of reparability.