Minimally invasive mitral valve repair in Barlow's disease: early and long-term results.

Objective: Barlow's disease remains a challenging surgical pathology in patients presenting with mitral regurgitation. We reviewed our early and long-term results for patients with Barlow's disease who underwent minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

Methods: Between 1999 and 2010, 145 patients with Barlow's disease underwent minimally invasive mitral valve repair at Leipzig Heart Center.

Barlow's mitral valve disease: results of conventional and minimally invasive repair approaches.

Barlow's valve is a clinically important form of degenerative mitral valve (MV) disease that is characterized by unique clinical, echocardiographic and pathological features. Successful and durable repair of Barlow's MV represents a clinical challenge for most cardiac surgeons. An armamentarium of different MV repair techniques may be required, resectional, neochordal or plicational techniques.