Mitral insufficiency due to an isolated anterior-leaflet cleft: correction with an autologous pericardial patch supported by artificial chordae.

Congenital clefts of the mitral valve without an associated atrioventricular canal defect are rare, and they may cause mitral insufficiency that requires surgical correction. Repair is typically by direct suture; however, if the cleft is especially wide, the use of this technique may distort the valve leaflet and cause poor coaptation with valvular insufficiency.Herein, we present the case of a 39-year-old woman who had severe mitral valve insufficiency secondary to a wide isolated cleft of the anterior mitral leaflet. The valve was reconstructed with an autologous pericardial patch supported by polytetrafluoroethylene neochordae and an implanted annuloplasty ring. Echocardiographic examination 1 year postoperatively showed excellent competence of the mitral valve and good coaptation of the leaflets. To our knowledge, this is the 1st report that describes the use of artificial neochordae to support an autologous pericardial patch in the repair of a cleft in the anterior mitral valve leaflet.