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Eur Heart J Case Rep 2018 Dec 11;2(4):yty146. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

National Heart Centre Singapore, 5 Hospital Drive, Singapore, Singapore.

Background: The MitraClip system has been used extensively in high-risk patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR). Recent reports have demonstrated the feasibility of using the MitraClip device to treat systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

Case Summary: We report the case of a 76-year-old lady who had both symptomatic severe degenerative MR and HOCM that were refractory to medical therapy. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2019 Mar;11(3):827-838

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.

Background: As an alternative to quadrangular resection (QR), little is known of the potential of chordal replacement (CR) for treating posterior mitral leaflet (PML) prolapse when comparing these two techniques. This study aimed to assess mid- to long-term outcomes of CR versus QR for isolated degenerative PML (idPML) repair.

Methods: We reviewed 112 consecutive patients using CR or QR for idPML repair from 4/2010 to 12/2015. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2019 19;2019:2458569. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ, USA.

Left atrial fibrous band is a rare clinical and echocardiographic finding characterized by the presence of a fibrous band attached to the mitral valve. Diagnosis is accomplished with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), live 3D imaging, or cardiac MRI. Most patients are asymptomatic and incidental findings. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Internal Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, Texas.

Described herein is a 71-year-old man who at age 61 was found by echocardiogram to have severe mitral regurgitation (MR) from mitral valve prolapse. During the subsequent 9 years the MR progressively lessened as his left ventricular cavity dilated and his ejection fraction progressively fell such that just before orthotopic heart transplantation the degree of MR was no longer severe, and the prolapse of the mitral leaflets had disappeared. This report describes this unique patient. Read More

Heart 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Department of Cardiac-Thoracic-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua Medical School, Padova, Italy.

Am J Cardiol 2019 Mar 18. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Adnan Menderes University Hospital, Aydın, Turkey. Electronic address:

Early impairment of left ventricular (LV) function has been reported in some inherited connective tissue diseases such as Marfan syndrome or rheumatic heart disease in pediatric patients. However, there is no study about cardiac strain in pediatric patients with primary mitral valve prolapse (MVP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the LV functions in pediatric patients with primary MVP, mild or moderate mitral regurgitation (MR), and normal LV ejection fraction. Read More

MMW Fortschr Med 2019 Apr;161(6):46-49

Medizinische Universität Wien, Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin II/Abteilung Kardiologie, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Wien, Österreich.

Mayo Clin Proc 2019 Mar 29. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Clinician-Investigator Training Program, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

A 51-year-old man with a long-standing history of bileaflet mitral valve prolapse accompanied by mitral annular disjunction and mild mitral regurgitation presented for evaluation of increasingly frequent palpitations. Ambulatory Holter monitoring, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, serial transthoracic echocardiography, and diagnostic electrophysiology studies were consistent with a diagnosis of arrhythmogenic bileaflet mitral valve prolapse syndrome. Because of the presence of a similar phenotype in the proband's mother, brother, and maternal aunt, research-based whole exome sequencing was pursued and a novel truncating variant (p. Read More

Echo Res Pract 2019 Mar 1. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

B Shah, Cardiology, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

A 62-year-old man admitted with palpitations had a 12-lead ECG that revealed atrial flutter with 2:1 AV block (rate 150bpm). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed normal left ventricular size with impaired systolic function and severe MR. No MV prolapse was seen. Read More

Eur Heart J 2019 Apr;40(16):1306

Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Angers, MitoVasc Institute, Mitolab Team, University of Angers, UMR CNRS 6015 - INSERM U1083, 4 rue Larrey, Angers Cedex 9, France.

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2019 Mar 6. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Background: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common valve condition and has been associated with sudden cardiac death. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) from the papillary muscles (PMs) may play a role as triggers for ventricular fibrillation (VF) in these patients.

Objectives: To characterize the electrophysiological substrate and outcomes of catheter ablation in patients with MVP and PM PVCs. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Mar 5;20(5). Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients are at risk for cardiovascular disease. In particular, for aortic aneurysm formation, which ultimately can result in a life-threatening aortic dissection or rupture. Over the years, research into a sufficient pharmacological treatment option against aortopathy has expanded, mostly due to the development of rodent disease models for aneurysm formation and dissections. Read More

Vet J 2019 Feb 19;244:94-97. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cardiovascular disease in the dog. The natural history of the disease is wide ranging and includes patients without clinical signs as well as those with significant clinical consequences from cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension and/or congestive heart failure. The factors that determine which dogs remain asymptomatic and which develop clinical disease are not known. Read More

Korean J Radiol 2019 Mar;20(3):352-363

Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac computed tomography (CT) for the detection of mitral valve (MV) prolapse in mitral regurgitation (MR) with surgical findings as the standard reference, and to assess the predictability of MV replacement based on morphologic CT findings.

Materials And Methods: A total of 156 patients who had undergone preoperative cardiac CT and subsequently received MV surgery due to severe MR were retrospectively enrolled. Non-repairable MV was defined when at least one of the following conditions was met: 1) anterior leaflet prolapse, 2) bi-leaflet prolapse, or 3) valve morphology (leaflet thickening, calcification, or mitral annular calcification [MAC]). Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2019;119(1):64-68

Sechenov's First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.

Aim: To determine the main causes and pathomorphological characteristic of extra- and intracranial vessel pathological changes in young adults in the aspect of sudden death (SD).

Material And Methods: The authors investigated 10485 SD cases in young adults in the period from 2012 to 2016 (5 years) according to Moscow coroner bureau autopsy data. Morphological, chemical, histological, histochemical methods (staining with hematoxylin and eosin, van Gieson's stain, Masson's trichrome stain) were used. Read More

Autops Case Rep 2018 Oct-Dec;8(4):e2018058. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Universidade de São Paulo (USP), School of Medicine, Heart Institute, Laboratory of Pathology. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Feb;73(6):739-740

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Feb;73(6):739

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2019 05 28;42(5):566. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Department of Cardiology, Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Unit, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2019 05 24;42(5):567. Epub 2019 Mar 24.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

Heart 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Objective: Bileaflet mitral valve prolapse (MVP) with either focal or diffuse myocardial fibrosis has been linked to ventricular arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac arrest. Left ventricular (LV) mechanical dispersion by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) is a measure of heterogeneity of ventricular contraction previously associated with myocardial fibrosis. The aim of this study is to determine whether mechanical dispersion can identify MVP at higher arrhythmic risk. Read More

J Cardiovasc Echogr 2018 Oct-Dec;28(4):207-217

Luigi Vanvitelli University, Monaldi Hospital, AORN Ospedali Dei Colli, Naples, Italy.

Mitral valve prolapse is generally a benign condition characterized by fibromyxomatous changes of the mitral leaflet with displacement into the left atrium and late-systolic regurgitation. Although it is an old clinical entity, it still arouses perplexity in diagnosis and clinical management. Complications, such as mitral regurgitation (MR), atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, endocarditis, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD), have been reported. Read More

PLoS One 2019 11;14(2):e0212165. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Hospital Organization Yokohama Medical Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

The mitral valve morphology in patients with pectus excavatum (PE) has not been fully investigated. Thirty-five patients with PE, 46 normal controls, and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who underwent 2 leaflet length measurements of Carpentier classification P2 and A2 using a transthoracic echocardiography were retrospectively investigated. The coaptation lengths and depths, papillary muscle tethering length, and mitral annular diameters were also measured. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Electronic address:

Objective: We sought to investigate the incidence of cardiac abnormalities in patients with idiopathic scoliosis and identify risk factors related to cardiac abnormalities.

Methods: A cohort of 531 patients with idiopathic scoliosis requiring surgical treatment in our hospital from March 2009 to August 2017 were recorded. Clinical data including medical records, radiograph, and echocardiogram were collected. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 Apr 24;123(8):1309-1313. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

The Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, San Diego, California. Electronic address:

Risk factors predicting progression from low grade to severe mitral regurgitation (MR), which is a guideline criterion for surgical intervention, remain unknown. We hypothesized that abnormalities of cardiac structure and function may predict progression in MR severity. We followed 82 asymptomatic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) patients (65 ± 12 years, 51% men) with mild or moderate MR (36 mild, 46 moderate, mean LVEF: 62%), without significant co-morbidities. Read More

Congenit Heart Dis 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine Clinical Center of Excellence, Lilongwe, Malawi.

Background: In asymptomatic children, screening echocardiography has been used to attempt to diagnose rheumatic heart disease (RHD) at an early stage (latent RHD). World Heart Federation guidelines have standardized categorization of "definite," "borderline," or no RHD by echo findings. The progression of RHD diagnosed through echo screening is not known. Read More

Clin Exp Immunol 2019 Apr 27;196(1):28-38. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Lung disease due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) occurs with disproportionate frequency in postmenopausal women with a unique phenotype and without clinically apparent predisposing factors. Dubbed 'Lady Windermere syndrome', the phenotype includes low body mass index (BMI), tall stature and higher than normal prevalence of scoliosis, pectus excavatum and mitral valve prolapse. Although the pathomechanism for susceptibility to NTM lung disease in these patients remains uncertain, it is likely to be multi-factorial. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2019 Apr 6;42(4):447-452. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, Ohio.

Background: While there is an association between isolated mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients with isolated MVP who experience ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and then subsequently undergo catheter ablation and/or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation are unknown.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients at the Cleveland Clinic with isolated MVP between 1997 and 2016 who underwent VA catheter ablation or secondary prevention ICD implantation.

Results: Of 617 screened patients, we identified 43 patients with isolated MVP and significant VA who underwent ICD placement (n = 13, 30%) or catheter ablation (n = 30, 70%). Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Jan;73(3):275-277

Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Int J Gen Med 2019 14;12:55-61. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,

Background: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common cardiac valvular abnormality in developed countries and it is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality.

Aim Of Work: To study the clinical presentations, risk factors, and echocardiographic features of patients with MVP in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review study was conducted in King Abdulaziz teaching hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 2007 to 2017. Read More

Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

The Mitral Laboratory, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. Electronic address:

Mathematical modeling tries to simplify understanding and proposes a fundamental mechanism that governs the motion and function of a complex biological system such as a mitral valve (MV) motion which represents a dynamic interplay between papillary muscle (PM) position in the context of left ventricular (LV) shape dynamics. Current therapeutic strategies to intervene on the MV may not have exploited these relationships due to lack of understanding of the interactions. We present a MV 3D mathematical model characterized by LV shape dynamics to understand fundamental working principles of ventriculo-papillary-mitral complex. Read More

Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Nov;7(6):812-820

Department of Cardiology, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

Transapical off-pump mitral valve repair (MVr) with NeoChord implantation has become widely applied in Europe for patients presenting with severe mitral regurgitation due to leaflet prolapse or flail. The procedure is performed under real-time 2D- and 3D-transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for both implantation and neochordae tension adjustment allowing real-time monitoring of hemodynamic recovery. Preoperative anatomic and echocardiographic selection criteria, procedure refinement, as well as innovative ex-vivo surgical simulator training have been developed and strategically employed in the past few years, to generate a robust precision-based procedural framework with significantly enhanced operator use, patient safety and clinical outcomes. Read More

Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Nov;7(6):731-740

Heart Valve Clinic, University Hospital of Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

The field of mitral valve disease diagnosis and management is rapidly evolving. New understanding of pathophysiology and improvements in the adoption of sophisticated multimodality imaging modalities have led to early diagnosis and to more complex treatment. The most common cause of mitral regurgitation (MR) in the western world is in the primary alteration of the valve, which leads to degenerative leaflet prolapse due to chordal elongation or rupture and annular dilatation. Read More

Perfusion 2018 Dec 31:267659118820776. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

1 Department of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Objectives:: To evaluate the impact of concomitant tricuspid valve (TV) repair on the right ventricular (RV) function postoperatively and within the 6 months following degenerative mitral valve (MV) repair.

Methods:: The prospective study included 37 patients (mean age 57.32 ± 2. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2018 Nov-Dec;36(6 Suppl 115):103-109. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Echocardiography, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, and Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing, China.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the spectrum of echocardiographic findings in patients with cardiovascular involvement in Behçet's disease (BD) and followed up the post-operative complications.

Methods: We enrolled 26 BD patients who underwent first cardiac surgery in Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, China. Medical records and echocardiographic findings were retrospectively analysed. Read More

Indian Heart J 2018 Nov - Dec;70(6):836-842. Epub 2018 Jan 31.

Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

Background: Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) can be complicated with significant mitral regurgitation (MR). We performed a pilot, prospective study to evaluate the role of three dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) in the prediction of MR after PBMV through mitral valve quantification (MVQ).

Methods: Between October 2014 and October 2016, 37 patients with rheumatic, moderate-to-severe mitral stenosis, referred to the Cath lab of Bab Alshearia University hospitals for PBMV, were divided into two age and sex matched groups. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2018;1085:187-189

Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an autosomal recessive multisystem disorder that involves the skin, GI tract, and heart, as well as the eye. It affects approximately 1 in 50,000 people worldwide and is seen twice as frequently in females as in males. Fundus findings include angioid streaks (Fig. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2019 Mar 21;316(3):H629-H638. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Second Department of Internal Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine , Kitakyushu , Japan.

Progressive superior shift of the mitral valve (MV) during systole is associated with abnormal papillary muscle (PM) superior shift in late systolic MV prolapse (MVP). The causal relation of these superior shifts remains unclarified. We hypothesized that the MV superior shift is related to augmented MV superiorly pushing force by systolic left ventricular pressure due to MV annular dilatation, which can be corrected by surgical MV plasty, leading to postoperative disappearance of these superior shifts. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2019 Mar 4;30(3):332-338. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Objective: There are scarce comparative data on efficacy and procedural safety between radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) and surgical ablation (SA) combined with mitral valve (MV) surgery for patients with nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and moderate mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods And Results: This single-center, retrospective, and observational study enrolled 155 consecutive patients with nonparoxysmal AF and moderate MR, of which 98 underwent RFCA and 57 underwent SA combined with MV surgery. Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation, bidirectional block of lines, and disappearance of complex fractionated atrial electrograms were the endpoints of RFCA, while pulmonary vein isolation and left and right atrial incisions were performed in SA. Read More

J Heart Valve Dis 2018 Jan;27(1):114-116

Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

A patient with ischemic myocardiopathy who had undergone resynchronization therapy was admitted to the authors' institution with progressive dyspnea. Echocardiography demonstrated a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 25%, with a massive mitral regurgitation (MR) secondary to anterior leaflet prolapse and posterior leaflet restriction. Despite intensive medical treatment, the patient developed cardiogenic shock and required mechanical ventilation, inotropic support and intra-aortic balloon pumping. Read More

Surg Today 2019 Apr 6;49(4):350-356. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Rosai Hospital, 1179-3, Nagasone-cho, Kita-ku, Sakai, Osaka, Japan.

Purpose: To define the outcomes of our original simple chordal replacement technique using ePTFE sutures for mitral regurgitation.

Methods: Between January, 2004 and March, 2014, 38 patients underwent mitral valve repair using our chordal replacement technique for anterior leaflet prolapse. The mitral regurgitation was caused by degenerative disease in 34 patients and infective endocarditis in 4 patients. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 Dec;72(23 Pt A):2904-2914

Helmsley Electrophysiology Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.

There is an increasing awareness of the association between mitral valve prolapse and sudden cardiac death. There are several clinical risk factors associated with an increased risk of mitral valve prolapse-related sudden cardiac death, most of which can be evaluated with noninvasive diagnostic modalities. For example, characteristic changes on the electrocardiogram (T-wave inversions in the inferior leads), complex ventricular ectopy, a spiked configuration of the lateral annular velocities by echocardiography, and evidence of myocardial fibrosis by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging have all been implicated as markers of risk. Read More

J Vet Sci 2019 Jan;20(1):63-71

Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05030, Korea.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful tool for identifying the genetic causes of various diseases. This study was conducted to identify genomic variation in Maltese dog genomes associated with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) development and to evaluate the association of each biological condition with DMVD in Maltese dogs. DNA was extracted from blood samples obtained from 48 Maltese dogs (32 with DMVD and 16 controls). Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Nov;97(48):e13089

Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.

Rationale: Infective endocarditis (IE) complicated with obstructive ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been reported in the literature and which were mostly related to coronary artery embolism, obstruction, or compression. However, there has been no reported case discussing about IE complicated with nonobstructive STEMI.

Patient Concerns: In this report, we report a 38-year-old female suffering from intermittent fever and was later diagnosed as IE. Read More

Mymensingh Med J 2018 Oct;27(4):894-897

Dr Ranjan Kumar Majumder, Department of Cardiology, Kumudini Women's Medical College, Mirzapur, Tangail, Bangladesh.

Single Atrium is a complex cardiac anomaly and generally a component of certain congenital syndromes. It is extremely rare for SA to be observed as an isolated defect. We report here a 14 year-old male patient with SA with MVP with spontaneously-closed inlet-VSD with polydactyly. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Dec;7(23):e010584

1 Department of Cardiology Austin Health University of Melbourne Melbourne Australia.

Background The relationship between mitral valve prolapse ( MVP ) and sudden cardiac death ( SCD ) remains controversial. In this systematic review, we evaluate the relationship between isolated MVP and SCD to better define a potential high-risk subtype. In addition, we determine whether premortem parameters could predict SCD in patients with MVP and the incidence of SCD in MVP . Read More

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

a Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust , London , UK.

Introduction: Mitral valve prolapse is a common valve pathology with a spectrum of disease from isolated prolapse to myxomatous, multi-scallop Barlow's disease. The main complications relate to progression of mitral regurgitation, endocarditis, sudden death and stroke. The timing of intervention in patients with asymptomatic severe mitral regurgitation is controversial. Read More

Multimed Man Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Nov 16;2018. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Department of Cardiac Surgery Medical University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria.

Transcatheter treatment of structural heart disease is becoming an everyday reality for an increasing number of surgeons, and effective training modalities for basic guide-wire skills, catheter handling, and periprocedural imaging are of growing relevance. In this video tutorial we present a beating-heart porcine model used as a high-fidelity training simulator for transcatheter cardiac valve procedures.  We demonstrate a complete transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair procedure, including periprocedural imaging, clip deployment, and quality control. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Nov 23;8(1):17306. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Mitral valve (MV) dynamics depends on a force balance across the mitral leaflets, the chordae tendineae, the mitral annulus, the papillary muscles and the adjacent ventricular wall. Chordae rupture disrupts the link between the MV and the left ventricle (LV), causing mitral regurgitation (MR), the most common valvular disease. In this study, a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling framework is implemented to investigate the impact of chordae rupture on the left heart (LH) dynamics and severity of MR. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Oct 17. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Department of Adult Cardiac Surgery, Hôpital cardiologique Louis Pradel, Lyon Medical School, Bron, France.

Objectives: Complex structure of mitral valve and its central position in the heart limit assessment of mitral function to standardized calculated parameters assessed using medical imaging (echocardiography). Novel techniques, which allow mitral valve repair (MVr) in a beating heart, offer the opportunity for innovative objective assessment in physiologic and pathologic conditions. We report, to our knowledge, the first data of real-time chordal tension measurement during a transapical neochordae implantation. Read More