Early failure after non-resectional mitral valve repair with artificial chordae.

Severe recurrent mitral regurgitation within 1 year of mitral valve repair is usually attributed to a technical issue with the original repair procedure. However, when artificial chordae are employed to correct mitral valve prolapse, ventricular remodeling (ie, decreased ventricular size) can lead to recurrent prolapse and valve dysfunction. To illustrate this phenomenon, we present two patients who experienced early failure after undergoing mitral valve repair with artificial chordae.