A new surgical technique for ventricular septal rupture closure after myocardial infarction

leaflet prolapse. It is easily reproducible and based on the simplification of 2 well-established techniques: chordal transfer for treatment of ALP and conventional replacement of chordae tendineae with polytetrafluoroethylene sutures. It alleviates surgical interference with valve components, chordal length manipulation, or annular plication and preserves the natural anatomy and integrity of the mitral valve. The artificial chordae system homogenously fixates the entire prolapsed leaflet at an ideal distance from each of the 2 papillary muscles, thus equilibrating the systolic stress without delicate measurements or complicated knotting of individual artificial chordae. The encouraging results in this short series are to be confirmed with long-term follow-up studies. References 1. Braunberger E, Deloche A, Berrebi A, et al. Very long-term results (more than 20 years) of valve repair with Carpentier’s techniques in nonrheumatic mitral valve insufficiency. Circulation. 2001;104(suppl I):I-8–11. 2. Iung B, Baron G, Butchart EG, et al. A prospective survey of patients with valvular heart disease in Europe: The Euro Heart Survey on Valvular Heart Disease. Eur Heart J. 2003;24:1231-43. 3. Hayek E, Gring CN, Griffin BP. Mitral valve prolapse. Lancet. 2005; 365:507-18. 4. Lessana A, Scorsin M, Romano M, et al. Transposition of posterior leaflet for treatment of ruptured main chordae of the anterior mitral leaflet. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1985;89:804-6. 5. David TE. Artificial chordae. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2004;16: 161-8.