Posterior leaflet reconstruction using autologous pericardium in mitral repair.

A 75-year-old woman experienced recurrent mitral regurgitation caused mainly by a shrunken and tethered posterior mitral leaflet with a dilated left ventricle. Posterior leaflet motion was severely restricted. We successfully resolved the tethering and restored valve coaptation and competence using posterior leaflet reconstruction, which is a modified method of posterior leaflet augmentation using autologous pericardium. This technique can recover the posterior leaflet function by improving tissue volume and tethering.