Preservation of left ventricular function after degenerative mitral valve repair: Refocusing on timing, techniques, and teaching

Changes in left ventricular (LV) size and function are expected after correction of severe chronic degenerative mitral regurgitation. Although it was previously thought that a postoperative decrease in ejection fraction (EF) was related to inadequate myocardial protection, it is now recognized that elimination of regurgitant volume after mitral valve repair is often associated with an increase in LV end-systolic volume, producing a decline in EF while maintaining normal or increased LV stroke volume.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Editorial: Acquired mitral valve Source Type: research