Novel Surgical Technique to Prevent Left Ventricular Rupture After Mitral Valve Replacement.

Left ventricular rupture, also called atrioventricular disruption, remains a rare but lethal complication of mitral valve replacement. Available measures for preventing such a complication are limited to preservation of the posterior mitral leaflet and avoidance of overzealous decalcification of the annulus. Moreover, these strategies are not always feasible when annular calcifications prevent proper suture placement or when an abscess involves the mitral annulus. This report describes a surgical technique practiced in our clinic (Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany) that can be used in such high-risk patients to avoid left ventricular rupture.