Introduction: The history of mitral valve surgery is presented followed by an analysis of the aetiology of mitral valve disease. Methods: The principles of valve preserving procedures are discussed, with an emphasis placed on professor Carpentier's school of mitral valve preserving surgery, and the classification of mitral regurgitation established by him is mentioned.
Further development in mitral valve surgery using minimally invasive approaches is also presented. Group of surgical patients and results: In the years 2006-2010, 621 mitral valve procedures were performed at our department.
Valve preserving surgery was carried out in 512 patients, accounting for 82.5%. The 30-day mortality in the group of patients treated with mitral valve plasty was 3.3%.
Most cases involved combined procedures (surgery on other valves, myocardial revascularization, surgery for atrial fibrillation, and others). Initial results of mitral valve plasties using a minimally invasive approach are also reported.
Conclusion: Mitral valve preserving procedures are increasingly performed compared to replacement surgery. Our results are comparable to the data published.