Valve reconstruction for congenital mitral valve disease.

The surgical treatment of mitral valve disease in children is a challenging problem. Mitral stenosis and regurgitation may occur in isolation or together. Mitral valve repair is almost always preferable to replacement. Mitral valve replacement is not an ideal alternative to repair due to limitations of size, growth, structural valve degeneration, anticoagulation and poor survival. Surgical repair of congenital mitral stenosis must address the multiple levels of obstruction, including resection of the supramitral ring, thinning of leaflets and mobilization of the subvalvular apparatus. Sometimes leaflet augmentation is required. Repair of mitral regurgitation in children may involve simple cleft closures, edge-to-edge repairs, triangular resections and annuloplasties. Techniques used in adults, such as annuloplasty bands or artificial chords, may not be appropriate for children. Overall, an imperfect mitral valve repair may be more acceptable than the negative consequences of a replacement in a child.