ABSTRACT
Mitral regurgitation (MR) affects 2-2.5 million people in the United States and is expected to rise to 4.8 million by 2030 because of population aging and growth (1). The most common causes of surgical MR in western countries are degenerative (DMR) including primary myxomatous disease, primary fl ail leafl ets, and mitral annular calcifi cation (60-70% of cases) followed by ischemic/functional MR (FMR) accounting for 20%. Other causes, including rheumatic disease, endocarditis, and collagen vascular diseases comprise the remainder (2).
