Transapical off-pump mitral valve repair following prior mitral valve surgery A case report

Rationale: Redo surgeries after mitral valve repair are technically demanding. Procedures applying the NeoChord device (NeoChord Inc, St. Louis Park, MN) have proven to be safe and feasible in selected patients requiring mitral valve repair due to a leaflet prolapse or flail. However, its use for redo procedures after conventional surgical repair has not been well established yet. Patient concerns: We report the case of a 57-year-old man who presented with dyspnea upon exertion. The patient had undergone a minimally invasive surgical mitral valve repair because of a flail leaflet of the segments segment 2 of the posterior mitral valve leaflet (P-2)/segment 3 of the posterior mitral valve leaflet (P-3) 4 years before. Diagnoses: Transesophageal echocardiography identified a relapse of severe mitral valve regurgitation. The recurring regurgitant jet was caused by a flail leaflet due to newly ruptured native chords. Interventions: After discussion in an interdisciplinary heart team, we performed a minimally invasive off-pump redo procedure applying the NeoChord device under three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic guidance. Outcomes: The echocardiographic result with only trivial residual mitral regurgitation as well as the further clinical course of the patient were favorable. Lessons: As redo surgery after minimally invasive mitral valve repair is challenging, the NeoChord device represents a novel treatment option that does not require cardiopulmonary bypass.