Mitral valve repair for disruptive acute endocarditis: extensive replacement of posterior leaflet with bovine pericardium

Abstract

Surgery for infective mitral valve endocarditis should include resection/debridement of all infected tissue, but this may leave behind insufficient-autologous mitral valve tissue for an adequate repair. Effective mitral valve repair using only bovine pericardium is feasible even in the presence of extensive endocarditis involving a large part of the free margin of the affected leaflet.