[Angiocardiographic and clinical development of Carpentier's mitral rings].

Carpentier's ring was inserted in the mitral annulus of 79 patients suffering from mitral valve disease. 49 other patients also underwent surgery on other cardiac valves and are not considered in the present study. The mean follow up time was 19.5 months. The total hospital and late mortality in the isolated ring series was 3.8%. Clinical and hemodynamic improvement was evident postoperatively. The preoperative functional class (NYHA) of the patients was: I, 11.39%; II, 45.5%; III, 34.1%; IV, 8.86% respectively. The postoperative class was: I, 86.8%; II, 7.9%; III, 3.9%; and IV, 1.3% respectively. Postoperative hemodynamic and angiocardiographic evaluation was done in 27 patients. Mean pulmonary artery pressure fell from 49.8 +/- 2.4 mm. Hg to 38 +/- 2 mm. Hg. Mitral regurgitation present preoperatively in 66.6% of cases was present in residual form in only 18.5%. Atrial enlargement was moderate in 42.1% and severe in 57.9% before operation, and 80.3 moderate and 19.7 severe after operation. Tromboembolic accidents occurred in 2 patients (2.2%) both with severe atrial enlargement and atrial fibrillation pre and postoperatively. We conclude that Carpentier's ring is a valid alternative in the surgery of mitral valve disease.