Mitral valve replacement after atrioventricular canal repair in adults: report of three cases.

Three cases of adults who required a mitral valve replacement (MVR) following repair of an atrioventricular (AV) canal are presented herein. In adult patients with an AV canal, the deformity of the mitral valve is sometimes too advanced for adequate repair, and therefore, residual mitral regurgitation frequently causes intractable cardiac failure despite appropriate medical management. Thus, for adults with an AV canal associated with severe valvular deformities, MVR should be considered from the initial operation to obtain a significantly better outcome.