Total Chordal Sparing Mitral Valve Replacement in Rheumatic Disease: A Word of Caution.

Total chordal preservation is the standard for mitral valve replacement to maintain long-term left ventricular geometry. Whereas it is appropriate for functional and degenerative mitral regurgitation, the role of chordal sparing in rheumatic valve disease is less well understood, with limited evidence supporting total chordal sparing. Inasmuch as this autoimmune disease affects the subvalvular apparatus in addition to the leaflets, it can be expected to continue after surgical repair. Here we present 2 patients who experienced adverse events associated with total chordal sparing mitral replacement as a result of disease progression with rapid fibrous growth causing inflow obstruction and early prosthetic valve failure.