Background: Previous studies showed that the mitral inter-commissural (IC) distance differed by a few millimeters between the systolic and diastolic cardiac cycles. However, sizing of the mitral annuloplasty ring with a ring sizer, which should be performed in the systole, is performed in diastole during hyperkalemic cardioplegic arrest. The aim of this study was to investigate whether three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) measurements of the mitral valve in end-systole are effective to determine the size of the annuloplasty ring.
Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 92 patients who underwent mitral annuloplasty for degenerative. The IC distance and anterior leaflet height of the A2 segment of the mitral valve were measured by 3D-TEE at the end-systole. The annuloplasty ring size was measured by the surgeons using specific ring sizers. We compared the IC distance measured by 3D-TEE with the implanted annuloplasty size. We also investigated differences in IC distance, A2 height, and ratio of A2 height to IC distance in patients with and without recurrent mild to moderate MR for 36 months.
Results: There was a significant correlation between the IC distance by 3D-TEE and the implanted ring size (R2 = 0.7023, p < 0.001). Eight cases had mild or greater recurrent MR. There was a significant difference in the ratio of A2 height to IC distance between patients with and without recurrent MR (p = 0.006). A2 height was greater in patients with recurrent MR, but this difference was not significant (p = 0.059).
Conclusions: Our results demonstrated a larger ratio of A2 height to IC distance in patients with recurrent MR. 3D-TEE could be useful for the ring sizing.
Keywords: Annuloplasty ring; Mitral regurgitation; Mitral valve; Three-dimensional echocardiography; Transesophageal echocardiography.