Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has become routine in many institutions. Disadvantages of this approach include prolonged aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times. Mitral valve replacement with a continuous suture technique may reduce operative times. We present a case of a 51-year-old man suffering from severe rheumatic mitral disease to highlight our continuous suture technique for minimally invasive mitral valve replacement. We also report preliminary results from our series of 15 patients suffering various rheumatic mitral pathology treated with this technique.
Keywords: continuous suture technique; mitral valve replacement; operative time; rheumatic heart disease.