Mitral Valve Posterior Leaflet Extension by Fresh, Autologous Pericardium in an Infant: Long-term Results

A 5-month-old girl suffered from severe mitral regurgitation and congestive heart failure, requiring mechanical ventilation. Echocardiography revealed hypoplasty of the posterior leaflet apparatus with no other intracardiac anomalies. Under cardiopulmonary bypass, the posterior leaflet was enlarged with autologous pericardium (not pretreated with glutaraldehyde), and the postoperative course was uneventful. At follow-up 13 years later, the posterior leaflet movement remains smooth and echocardiography registers no mitral insufficiency. Thus, posterior leaflet extension with fresh, autologous pericardium is durable in the long term.