Edge-to-edge technique: Is it also useful in children?

Objective: Mitral valve prolapse is a rare condition and represents a challenge for cardiac surgeons. Many techniques have been described to treat the wide spectrum of abnormalities causing mitral valve regurgitation but the low incidence of these abnormalities is the cause of the relatively poor experience of many institutions. Methods: From April 2005 to September 2006, five patients underwent isolated mitral valve repair with the edge-to-edge technique for anterior or bileaflet prolapse. Three patients also had a Gore-Tex strip to reinforce the posterior annulus, whereas two had a 26-size soft incomplete ring annuloplasty. Results: There was no death and none of the patients required reoperation. None of the patients had mitral regurgitation more than 1+ at a mean follow-up of 30 months. None of the patients had mitral stenosis or any valve-related event. Conclusion: The edge-to-edge technique is a well tolerated and useful technique for the anterior or bileaflet prolapse of the mitral valve. Although many techniques have been described with good results, in many anatomical settings and in small patients, edge-to-edge is a good option and might not interfere with the growth of the valve. Early results are encouraging but a longer follow-up is needed to evaluate the long-term prognosis.