A special rongeur for removal of extensively calcified mitral valves.

A rare complication of advanced mitral valve disease occurs when calcium extends from the valve downward along the wall of the left ventricle into the ventricular cavity. This unusual condition can be recognized on fluoroscopy because the calcium is visible at right angles to the calcium in the valve. The surgeon faces a very difficult technical problem because it is hard to obtain adequate exposure and to remove the calcium without injury to adjacent tissues or loss of calcific fragments, with resulting embolization. Such difficulties were encountered a year ago in a patient undergoing mitral and aortic valve replacement and ultimately resulted in the patient's death. After this event, the special rongeurs described here were designed.