Surgical therapy of organic mitral valve disease: Strategy and outcomes

The aim of the thesis is to assess the current status of reconstructive mitral valve surgery. The thesis focuses on the technical aspects of mitral valve surgery as well as the perioperative care related hereto. The timing of surgery plays a vital role in ensuring optimal clinical results and unnecessary delay of surgical intervention results in a higher risk of operation. The presented results, characterized by low morbidity and mortality rates, need to be taken into account when a treatment strategy is formed. The described systematic approach to various types of mitral valve disease and technical aspects of surgical correction offer the opportunity to apply a truly patient-tailored approach in these patients. Moreover, the pathophysiological concepts and the effect hereof on the surgical strategy of mitral valve repair are studied. The results presented will hopefully stimulate further research in this field, contributing to further improvements in the field of reconstructive mitral valve surgery.