Techniques for ensuring the correct length of new mitral chords.

Repair of degenerative mitral insufficiency has extensively been shown to be superior to replacement. In the majority of cases, the culprit lesion is limited to the posterior mitral leaflet (PML), which is treated with quadrangular resection of the prolapsing PML, annular plication of the corresponding segment of the annulus, and prosthetic annuloplasty. Anterior mitral leaflet (AML) prolapse is less common and is not always considered an indication for repair despite availability of a variety of surgical maneuvers specifically designed for its treatment. Although reliable if properly performed, chordal shortening at the papillary muscle level is technically demanding. Chordal transfer from the PML with the 'flip-over' technique is highly reproducible, but limited by the very frequent presence of an abnormal PML. Although feasible, transfer of an anterior basal chord to the prolapsing free edge assumes that the basal chords can be sectioned with impunity. More recently, chord replacement with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sutures has become increasingly popular because of its availability, theoretical simplicity, and demonstrated long-term durability. Although papillary and leaflet anchoring of the neo-chord has not been shown to be a problem, the determination of its appropriate length remains intuitive and based on personal experience. Here, simple surgical maneuvers designed to ensure safe and reproducible results of single or multiple chord replacement with PTFE sutures are described.