There are different repair techniques but the common aim of the repairs is a patent valve with no regurgitation. Another important issue is the durability of the repair.
A prerequisite for long durability is the restoration of the valve and the left ventricular geometry as well as the blood flow pattern through the left atrium and the left ventricle. Echocardiography is used to visualize the geometry and to grade the regurgitation.
It is now possible to visualize the blood flow characteristics with 4-dimensional flow magnet resonance imagining (4D flow MRI). We will compare the blood flow through the mitral valve in patients after mitral valve repair and in healthy persons to explore repair technique related factors and patient related factors relevant for the restoration of normal blood flow through the mitral valve. It will contribute to better and more durable mitral valve surgery.
In another study, we compare three diagnostic methods (echocardiography, traditional 2D MRI and 4D flow MRI) in evaluation of mitral valve regurgitation.
