Transfer of a minimally invasive mitral valve repair program from a high-volume center to a very low volume center: how many cases are necessary to maintain acceptable results?

Objective To investigate whether minimally invasive mitral valve repair (MIMVR) can be transferred from a high-volume center into a very small volume center and to clarify how many cases are necessary for maintenance of this program, early outcomes of MIMVR in Asahikawa Medical University were compared with those results in patients operated by a single surgeon in Duesseldorf University Hospital.