Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in a patient with early failure of mitral valve repair: why are we still looking at a three-dimensional structure in 2 dimensions?

A 47-year-old man was admitted with a massive inferolateral wall infarction due to proximal circumflex artery obstruction. After emergent percutaneous coronary intervention, the patient remained hemodynamically unstable because of severe mitral valve insufficiency due to massive annular dilatation combined with diffuse 3-vessel coronary disease and poor left ventricular function. Mitral valve annuloplasty and concomitant coronary bypass grafting were performed with good recovery initially. On the ward, the patient became …