Authors
- Diana Rudan — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-9473-2517
- Ivana Jurin — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-2637-9691
Keywords
mitral regurgitation, mitral valve repair, mitral valve replacement, echocardiography
DOI
https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2018.182Full Text
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is characterized by abnormal backflow of blood through the mitral valve during the systolic phase of cardiac cycle. Usually, it is the main indication for mitral valve repair or mitral valve replacement at the onset of symptoms of congestive heart failure. Although mitral valve repair is now frequently performed, especially for mitral regurgitation, valve replacement remains common ( 1 ). Echocardiography with Doppler is the method of choice for the non-invasive evaluation of prosthetic valve function and can provide a valuable information about functioning of operating valve and about medical management and considerations for reoperation on valvular complications ( 2 ). Because the assessment of prosthetic valve is more demanding, both to perform and to interpret, compared with native valves, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is preferable method for the evaluation of prosthetic valvular structure and associated complications ( 3 , 4 ).