Clinical experience of mitral valve reconstruction with artificial chordae implantation.

To expand the application of mitral valve reconstruction for pure mitral regurgitation due to diffuse leaflet prolapse, we have employed artificial chordae implantation using GPEP strips in 9 patients and 4-0 PTFE sutures in 20 patients since November 1986. The total number of GPEP strips implanted was 20 with a range from 1 to 4 (average 2.2 per patient) and 45 pairs of PTFE sutures with a range from 1 to 6 (average 2.3 per patient). There was one hospital death (3.4%). All other patients survived operation without valve-related complications except 1 patient who required reoperation for failure of mitral valve reconstruction. In 27 survivors free from reoperation, the amount of mitral regurgitation assessed postoperatively was none or trivial in 19 patients, mild in 7 and moderate in 1. All 27 patients improved to NYHA functional class I or II. So far, our results were no less acceptable than those with conventional procedures for mitral valve prolapse.