The Appearance of Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis in Cineangiography Related to Surgical Treatment

Abstract

Left ventricular cineangiography was performed in 44 patients suffering from rheumatic mitral stenosis. Rheumatic mitral stenosis of the funnel type is angio-graphically a diagnostic entity, involving interesting aspects in the evaluation of candidates for surgery and the surgical procedure of choice. The correlation between the angio-graphic, surgical and cardiological findings is satisfactory. When rheumatic mitral stenosis of the funnel type is present, commissurotomy and recommissurotomy are not safer treatment for the patient, and the long-term effect does not exceed 4 years. Improvement of cardiac function, as evaluated by clinical examination 6 months after operation, is better in patients treated with mitral valvular replacement, even if hospital mortality is considered, than in the patients operated on with commissurotomy or recommissurotomy.