Clinical evaluation of functional mitral stenosis after mitral valve repair for degenerative disease: Potential affect on surgical strategy

Background Mitral annuloplasty with either a partial band or complete ring is an integral part of mitral valve repair for degenerative disease. The affect of annuloplasty type on outcomes has not been well described. The objective of our study was to compare echocardiographic and functional characteristics of patients who underwent mitral repair with either a complete ring or a partial band. Methods We evaluated 107 patients who underwent mitral repair of myxomatous degeneration at our institution by stress echocardiography, 6-minute walk testing, and short form-36 questionnaire. These assessments were performed 4.3 ± 2.2 years following mitral repair by a single surgeon. A band was used in 65 patients (61%) and a ring in 42 patients (39%). Parametric and nonparametric tests were used in the analyses. Results The labeled band and ring size used for repair were 30.7 ± 2.8 mm and 30.4 ± 2.1 mm, respectively ( P = .6). The resting mean mitral gradient and valve area were 3.7 ± 1.9 mm Hg and 2.3 ± 0.6 cm2 for patients who received a band and 5.8 ± 2.6 mm Hg and 1.8 ± 0.5 cm2 for patients who received a ring (both P