Left Ventricular Vortex Under Mitral Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair.

Mitral valve (MV) edge-to-edge repair (ETER) changes MV geometry by approximation of MV leaflets, and impacts left ventricle (LV) filling fluid mechanics. The purpose of this study was to investigate LV vortex with MV ETER during diastole. A computational MV-LV model was developed with MV ETER at the central free edges of the anterior and posterior leaflets. It was supposed that LV would elongate apically during diastole. The elongation deformation was controlled by the intraventricular flow rate. MV leaflets were modeled as a semi-prolate sphere with two symmetrical circular orifices and fixed at the maximum valve opening. MV chordae were neglected. FLUENT was used to simulate blood flow through the MV and in the LV. MV ETER generated two jets deflected laterally toward the LV wall in rapid LV filling. The jets impinged the LV wall obliquely and moved apically along the LV wall. Jet energy was primarily lost near the impingement. The jet from each MV orifice was surrounded by a vortex ring. The two vortex rings dissipated at the end of diastole. The total energy loss increased inversely with the MV orifice area. The atrio-ventricular pressure gradient was adverse near the end of diastole and possibly in diastasis. Reduction of the total orifice area led to more increment in the transmitral pressure drop than in the transmitral velocity. In conclusion, during diastole, two deflected jets from the MV under ETER impinged the LV wall. Major energy loss occurred around the jet impingement. Two vortex rings dissipated at the end of diastole with little storage of inflow energy for blood ejection in the following process of systole. MV ETER increased energy loss and lowered LV filling efficiency. The maintaining of a larger orifice area after ETER might not significantly increase energy loss in the LV during diastole and the transmitral pressure drop. The adverse pressure gradient from the atrium to the LV might be the mechanism of MV closure in the late diastole.