Surgical Strategy for Preserving Native Mitral Valves in Infants With Ventricular Septal Defects and Mitral Regurgitation

In 1,524 cases of ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure, 30 patients had moderate or severe mitral valve regurgitation (MR). The 14 cases where valve annular dilatation was the predominant pathophysiology demonstrated effective MR control with VSD closure alone; however, in the 16 cases of structural valve abnormalities, including Carpentier classification type IIIa, mitral valvuloplasty did not always provide effective control of MR, and three patients eventually required mitral valve replacement.