Study Reveals Mitral Valves Should be Repaired Not Replaced

A 10-year study of patients with mitral valve failure has shown that although most surgeons opt to replace rather than repair these valves, 98 percent of these patients would be better off simply having the valve repaired. Currently, only 30 percent of all failed mitral valves are repaired. The results of the study, conducted by renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Gerald Lawrie of Texas Surgical Associates, was presented earlier this year at the annual American College of Cardiology meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

"The mitral valve is the most commonly replaced heart valve, but our study has shown that patients have fewer complications and longer lasting results when the valve is actually repaired instead of replaced," Dr. Lawrie says. "Even when the repair is what we call `complex,' in which several surgical repair methods are utilized, the results are superior to replacement."

Dr. Lawrie studied approximately 300 patients from 1989-1999 and found that patients who underwent complex repair had 50 percent fewer complications and significantly lower mortality rates than those who received synthetic or bovine replacements. In addition, the long-term study revealed that the repaired valves lasted longer than replacement valves, which also carry the added risk of rejection by the body. Dr. Lawrie, who was trained by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey, and is a founding partner of Texas Surgical Associates, has also developed his own techniques for mitral valve repair throughout his 30-year career.

"Consumers need to know this information before making a decision about surgery," Dr. Lawrie says. "Not all cardiovascular surgeons perform these complex repairs, so patients need to make sure they are being given all of the available options."

- From Texas Surgical Associates

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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