Extensive use of artificial chordae for repairing diffuse mitral valve prolapse.

A diffuse mitral valve prolapse was successfully repaired in 2 patients using polytetrafluoroethylene sutures as artificial chordae. In a 16-year-old boy with Marfan's syndrome and in a 56-year-old woman, a total of 11 and ten pairs of polytetrafluoroethylene sutures were used, respectively, to repair a severe mitral valve prolapse. We consider mitral valve repair using polytetrafluoroethylene sutures to be the treatment of choice for a diffuse prolapse of the mitral valve involving both the anterior and posterior leaflets.