Zeitschrift für Kardiologie
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To obtain good results in cardiac valve reconstruction surgery it is necessary to assess intraoperatively the efficiency of mitral or tricuspid valve repair. In 15 patients (three with mitral stenosis, 12 with mitral insufficiency) the mitral valve, in eight patients the tricuspid valve and in two patients both av-valves were reconstructed individually by commissurotomy and/or annulorrhaphy. During cardiac arrest, the valves were tested by filling the left or right ventricle with saline solution. ⋯ An intraoperative decision for valve replacement was made. Our results show that transesophageal contrast echocardiography is a simple and accurate method of assessing the efficiency of valve reconstruction procedures. In some cases it gives more information than testing during cardiac arrest.