Advanced Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair Techniques and Benefits

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• Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair
• Common Mitral Valve Prolapse Problems
• Classic Mitral Valve Repair Technique
• Foldoplasty Mitral Valve Repair Technique
• Benefits of Foldoplasty Technique
• Second Opinion for Mitral Valve Disease

Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair

Minimally invasive mitral valve repair is a safe and highly effective surgical procedure. As Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, a pioneer in the field, explains, this approach offers outcomes equivalent to traditional open surgery. The key advantage of a minimally invasive operation is a significantly accelerated patient recovery time. In the hands of an experienced cardiac surgeon, this technique does not introduce additional complications.

Common Mitral Valve Prolapse Problems

The most frequent issue requiring mitral valve repair is posterior leaflet prolapse. This condition is often a genetic disease, where patients have an inherent weakness in their mitral valve tissue. Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, describes how the chords attaching the leaflet to the heart's papillary muscles can break. The middle section of the posterior leaflet can become loose, billowy, and ultimately leak, causing blood to flow backward into the ventricle, a condition known as mitral valve regurgitation.

Classic Mitral Valve Repair Technique

The classic surgical operation for this problem involves resecting, or cutting out, the damaged section of the mitral valve leaflet. The two remaining edges of the leaflet are then carefully stitched back together. Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, notes that a reinforcing ring, called an annuloplasty ring, is placed in all patients to strengthen the entire mitral valve apparatus and prevent future dilation. This traditional method has a long and proven track record of success.

Foldoplasty Mitral Valve Repair Technique

Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, now favors an advanced technique known as foldoplasty. Instead of removing tissue, the surgeon folds the prolapsing and leaking area of the posterior leaflet over onto itself. This folded segment is then sutured to the underside of the mitral valve's annulus. A ring is still placed to provide structural support. This innovative method, which Dr. Cohn has published on, is part of a surgical algorithm used successfully in over 90% of his mitral valve operations.

Benefits of Foldoplasty Technique

The foldoplasty technique offers distinct advantages for mitral valve repair. A primary benefit is that the operation is performed much faster than the classical resection technique. Despite the reduced operative time, Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, emphasizes that patient results are identical, achieving durable and effective repair of mitral valve regurgitation. This efficiency can contribute to overall patient safety.

Second Opinion for Mitral Valve Disease

Seeking a second opinion is a critical step for any patient diagnosed with mitral valve disease. As Dr. Anton Titov, MD, discusses, a second opinion confirms that the initial diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse is correct and complete. Furthermore, it ensures the chosen treatment plan, whether it involves a minimally invasive repair or another approach, is the best individual option. This process provides patients and their families with confidence in their healthcare journey.

Full Transcript

Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD: Mitral valve repair by minimally invasive surgery is safe and effective. It is similar to standard incision heart valve surgery.

Eminent cardiac surgeon pioneered minimally invasive heart valve surgery. He explains an effective method of minimally invasive mitral valve repair operation. Mitral valve repair minimally invasive surgery speeds up recovery time for patient.

There are no additional mitral valve repair complications in experienced surgical hands. Dr. Lawrence H. Cohn favors technique of foldoplasty. This mitral valve repair technique is published and well known to surgeons.

Second opinion confirms that mitral valve prolapse diagnosis is correct and complete. Second opinion helps to choose the best treatment for mitral valve regurgitation. Get second opinion on mitral valve disease and be confident that your treatment is the best.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: I understand that you use a particular algorithm to select technique for mitral valve repair operation. This algorithm works in more than 90% of all mitral valve surgeries that you perform.

What are the techniques for mitral valve repair? What methods do you use in your surgical practice?

Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD: The most common problem in patients with mitral valve prolapse is located in a posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. The chords that attach mitral valve leaflet to papillary muscles sometimes break.

Often the middle part of posterior leaflet becomes loose and billowy. It is leaking. Mitral valve prolapse is a genetic disease.

Patients have a genetic predisposition to weakness in mitral valve tissue. We have done a classic operation to repair mitral valve. We resected that little section of mitral valve.

Then we stitched two edges of the mitral valve leaflet together. All patients had a ring to strengthen the mitral valve.

Recently we started to use technique called foldoplasty. We fold over the area in posterior leaflet of mitral valve. That area is causing leakage of blood back to heart’s ventricle.

We place a ring inside heart valve to strengthen it. We suture the leaflet to underside of the annulus of mitral valve. This operation is much faster than classical technique.

We have same patient results as with classical operation.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Cardiac surgeons can read about this new mitral valve repair technique ("foldoplasty") in published articles?

Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD: Yes, this work was published.