Beating Heart Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery without Aortic Cross-Clamping via Right Thoracotomy in a Patient with Compromised Left Ventricular Functions

Global myocardial ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury are potential adverse events related with cardioplegic arrest. Beating heart surgery has avoided such complications and adapted to valve surgery following successful results published on myocardial revascularization. Difficulty in weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass may be lessened by using on-pump beating heart surgery for mitral valve interventions. Here we describe a 64-year-old male patient with severe mitral regurgitation and dilated cardiomyopathy. Beating heart mitral valve replacement surgery was performed without aortic cross-clamping through a right thoracotomy approach. We believe that, particularly in patients with poor left ventricular functions, beating heart mitral valve surgery may be advantageous.