The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 2024
Neochordal Goldilocks: Analyzing the Biomechanics of Neochord Length on Papillary Muscle Forces Suggests Higher Tolerance to Shorter Neochordae.
Estimating neochord lengths during mitral valve repair is challenging, because approximation must be performed largely based on intuition and surgical experience. Little data exist on quantifying the effects of neochord length misestimation. We aimed to evaluate the impact of neochord length on papillary muscle forces and mitral valve hemodynamics, which is especially pertinent because increased forces have been linked to aberrant mitral valve biomechanics. ⋯ Leveraging precision ex vivo heart simulation, we found that millimeter-level neochord length differences can result in significant differences in papillary muscle forces and mitral regurgitation, thereby altering valvular biomechanics. Differences in lengthened versus shortened neochordae scaling of forces and mitral regurgitation may indicate different levels of biomechanical tolerance toward longer and shorter neochordae. Our findings highlight the need for more thorough biomechanical understanding of neochordal mitral valve repair.