Volume 8, Issue 1 , Pages 14-26, February 2003
Mitral valve replacement in patients with mitral annulus abscess☆☆☆
Article Outline
- Approach to the mitral valve
- Surgical technique abscess confined to the posterior mitral annulus
- Abscess involving the entire circumference of the annulus
- References
- Copyright
Replacement of the mitral valve in the presence of an abscess of the mitral annulus presents a major challenge to the surgeon. The patients involved are frequently very ill as a result of uncontrolled infection as well as hemodynamic compromise because of valve dysfunction. They frequently have severe coagulation derangements before surgery. It is not surprising that surgery in these patients is associated with a relatively high mortality and complication rate. However, a carefully planned surgical approach offers these patients the best chance of survival.
There are two fundamental principles that a surgeon must adhere to in treating these patients. The first one is that all of the infected valvular and perivalvular material must be removed before a new prosthesis is secured in place. Failure to do this will invariably result in reinfection of the new valve prosthesis as well as the surrounding annulus. Once all the infected material is removed, the surgical team should change their gown and gloves. All instruments used to remove the infected material are discarded, and new sterile towels placed around the open wound.
Complete removal of all of the infection, especially the infected annular tissue, will often leave insufficient annulus to which a new valve can be secured. This leads to the second principle, which is to carefully reconstruct the annulus before sewing in a new valve. Simply attempting to secure a new valve into a partially destroyed annulus will either result in immediate and usually fatal atrial ventricular disassociation or to early valve dehiscence.
The following outlines the surgical steps that we recommend for management of the infected mitral annulus. The simplest repair applies to the case where only one part, usually the posterior part, of the annulus is involved. A more complex repair, which is really an extension of the simplest repair, is required if the entire circumferential annulus is infected, as is often the case with a previously inserted infected prosthetic valve. Finally, if the infection is so extensive so that not only is the mitral annulus destroyed but also part of the aortic annulus and the central fibrous body, an extensive and complex reconstruction is required. We will review the surgery for the first two conditions. Further details regarding the most complex reconstruction are outlined in previously published articles.1, 2
Approach to the mitral valve
In all cases the mitral valve is approached through a median sternotomy. Standard ascending aortic or proximal arch cannululation is used along with bicaval venous cannulation either via the right atrium or directly if a trans-septal approach is used. Exposure of the mitral valve is absolutely critical in these operations. Using more traction on the right side of the pericardium than the left side, placing a sponge behind the heart as well as using a self-retaining mitral valve retractor all help to improve the exposure. If exposure is still inadequate, strategically placing several sutures in tissues around the annulus can be used to elevate the annulus towards the surgeon.
Cardiac protection is provided either by antegrade or retrograde cold blood cardioplegia. Provided cardiac protection is done well, neither method is superior in our hands.
Surgical technique abscess confined to the posterior mitral annulus
1 The infected mitral valve is removed along with all infected tissue in the annulus.
2 Note the raw open area in the posterior annulus after removal of the infected annulus. Valve sutures cannot be secured to this area, and it may also communicate with the epicardium.
3 Autologous pericardium is the best material to reconstruct defects in the posterior annulus. Pericardium is normally removed from the left side on initial opening the chest. The patch is sewn to healthy myocardium inside the ventricular cavity beyond the area of damage. The optimal suture material is 4-0 polypropylene with a large ½ circle taper needle. Large bites are used and the first part of this suture line is performed in an “open” fashion. Because it is very easy to inadvertently plicate the annulus, a conscious effort must be made to make the patch bites wider than those in the ventricular muscle. The size of the valve should be determined only after the patch is sewn into position.
4 The patch is gently pulled down using a nerve hook and taking care not to pull sutures out of the soft myocardium. The sutures should be pulled snugly but not to the point of pulling through the relatively friable muscle. Remember, the patch will be compressed against the ventricular muscle when the heart is working so a tight seal is usually not necessary. The suture line is continued in each direction towards the area of healthy annulus. At this point, the suture is secured to the annulus by tying it to an additional anchoring suture. Depending on the integrity of the debrided atrial area, the atrial side of the patch is either sewn or left unsewn to the atrial wall. If left unsewn, it is important to trim any redundant patch material that could be drawn into the valve mechanism.
5 The annulus is measured to determine the size of prosthesis to insert. The choice between a mechanical or a biological prosthesis should be made based on patient factors as well as on a prediction by the surgeon as to the difficulty of a future redo operation should that become necessary. In our experience, the risk of early reinfection is not related to valve prosthesis type nor infecting organism.
6 Pledgeted 2-0 braided polyester valve sutures on ½ circle needle are placed around the annulus. Where the annulus is still intact the plegets are placed on the ventricular side. In the area reconstructed by the patch the sutures are take in and out on the patch as shown.
7 Sutures are placed into the prosthetic valve-sewing ring. In this case, a mechanical valve is being used.
8 Once the valve is in place, leaflet excursion is checked for any obstruction of motion. If need be, the valve can be rotated. Note in this figure that PTFE sutures have been used to reattach the papillary muscle heads to the mitral annulus.
Abscess involving the entire circumference of the annulus
1 As before, all infected material is removed. Note in this case the infected area involved most of the mitral annulus. However, the area between the anterior mitral leaflet and the aortic valve, the fibrous trigone is spared and can be used to secure a patch.
2 A circumferential patch of bovine pericardium is sewn around the annulus with a 3-0 polypropylene suture on a large ½ circle taper needle. In the area of the aortic valve, the sutures must only be secured to the fibrous trigone, taking great care not to injure the aortic valve leaflet which is inserted into the annulus in this area.
3 As before, the patch is carefully pulled snugly against the ventricular muscle. The free edge of the patch on the atrial side left unsewn. After the patch is in place, a new valve size is selected and sewn into position. Pledgets should be placed on the ventricular surface regardless of valve type used.
4 Sutures are placed into the sewing ring of the valve prosthesis and the valve secured into the newly fashioned annulus.
Comments
Patch reconstruction of the mitral annulus is an extremely useful adjunct to help avoid dreaded complications of atrioventricular disruption or valve dehiscence. Based on our experience we believe that a prosthetic mitral valve can be safely secured into a newly created annulus with very acceptable operative mortality and morbidity as well as good long-term results. By using this technique, the risk of long-term failure, such as aneurysm formation or dehiscence, is also reduced.
References
☆ Address reprint requests to Dr. Christopher M. Feindel, Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street, 14EN-205, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C4.
☆☆ 1522-2942/03/0801-0001$35.00/0
PII: S1522-2942(03)70031-2
© 2003 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Volume 8, Issue 1 , Pages 14-26, February 2003
