Clinical outcomes of mitral valve repair with the Colvin-Galloway Future Band: a single-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: In 2001, a semirigid band (Colvin-Galloway Future Band, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) for mitral valve repair came onto the market. We report our experience of the correction of all types of mitral regurgitation using this device. METHODS: From August 2003 to December 2006, 140 patients (71% men, mean age 64 +/- 11 years) underwent valvuloplasty with this device for all types of mitral regurgitation: 94 (67%) degenerative, 34 (24%) postischemic, 11 (8%) dilative cardiomyopathy, and one (1%) postendocarditic. The patients underwent clinical and echocardiographic evaluation preoperatively, postoperatively before discharge, and after a median follow-up of 7 months (25th-75th percentile, 4-24 months). RESULTS: Total mortality was 6.4% (nine out of 140 patients): four patients (2.8%) died within 30 days (early death) and five died subsequently (the cause was cardiac in one case). Predischarge echocardiographic examination revealed a reduction in mitral regurgitation of at least 2 degrees in 99.2% of patients and the absence of systolic anterior movement. At the last follow-up, we recorded an improvement in New York Heart Association functional class (2.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.4, P < 0.0001), a significant reduction in the degree of mitral regurgitation (3.5 +/- 0.9 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.5, P < 0.0001), an increase in ejection fraction (54 +/- 11 vs. 55 +/- 9, P = 0.09), and a significant reduction in end-diastolic diameter (59 +/- 6 vs. 55 +/- 6, P < 0.0001). Two patients were reoperated on for mitral valve replacement, and no postoperative thromboembolic events occurred. CONCLUSION: Our experience shows that the Colvin-Galloway Future Band yields good results in mitral valvuloplasty for all types of mitral regurgitation. We are encouraged to continue using this device.