The influence of revascularization on ischemic mitral insufficiency

Since Doppler echocardiography in clinical medicine we know that mitral regurgitation (MR) is a very common if not physiological phenomenon. Left ventricular angiography demonstrates regurgitation into the left atrium much less frequently -usually only if echocardiography demonstrates retrograde flow throughout systole. Left ventricular angiography has shown relatively low sensitivity [5]; furthermore, it may be associated with artifical mitral valve insufficiency caused by interference with the mitral valve apparatus or by arrhythmias.