Mitral valve plasty using left antero-axillary thoracotomy for a patient with pulmonary hypoplasia.

We present the case of a 62-year old female who presented with dyspnoea caused by severe mitral valve regurgitation. Preoperative evaluation revealed unilateral primary pulmonary hypoplasia of the left lung. Mitral valve plasty was successfully performed without postoperative respiratory complications, using a left antero-axillary thoracotomy approach resulting in excellent exposure of the mitral valve.