Mitral repair in symptom-free patients with normal ventricles: Becoming the new normal?

We have all been there. A young, vigorous woman referred to you with severe asymptomatic mitral regurgitation is in your office to discuss surgical repair. You proceed to describe the incision you are going to make somewhere on her chest; the 1% to 2% risk of bleeding, stroke, infection, heart failure, and death; the fact that she may end up with a prosthetic mitral valve requiring lifelong anticoagulation; and the fact that she is going to have to miss a month or more of her Pilates classes because the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (ACC/AHA) says that it is “reasonable” to repair her mitral valve now.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Editorial Commentary Source Type: research