Early and midterm outcomes of folding valvuloplasty without leaflet resection for myxomatous mitral valve disease.

We performed 46 cases of folding valvuloplasty without leaflet resection for myxomatous mitral regurgitation (MR) between August 2004 and December 2006. Operative mortality was zero. No patient had greater than grade 1 MR or systolic anterior motion on intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. In median of 17 months' follow-up, no patient had a reoperation for recurrent MR. Among 31 patients who had an echocardiographic follow-up, 28 had zero or grade 1 MR, 3 had grade 2 MR, and no patient had grade 3/4 MR. Folding valvuloplasty is a simple and effective technique for selected types of myxomatous MR with favorable outcomes and midterm echocardiographic findings.