Acquired Gerbode Defect Diagnosed Seven Years After Surgical Mitral Valve Repair for Severe Primary Mitral Valve Regurgitation: A Case Report

TL;DR

A man who had mitral valve repair seven years ago was found to have a rare heart defect called an acquired Gerbode defect, despite being asymptomatic.

Contribution

This case report highlights the rare occurrence of an acquired Gerbode defect following mitral valve repair.

Findings

A 54-year-old man with prior mitral valve repair was found to have an acquired Gerbode defect.

The defect was detected via echocardiography despite the patient being asymptomatic.

The case underscores the importance of long-term follow-up after mitral valve surgery.

Abstract

Surgical mitral valve repair is the main treatment for patients with severe primary mitral regurgitation who are symptomatic; this technique is usually done in patients with myxomatous degeneration of the mitral leaflets, such as mitral valve prolapse. In these patients, surgical mitral valve repair is recommended over surgical mitral valve replacement; also, surgical mitral valve repair is recommended over percutaneous repair in patients with acceptable surgical risk. We report herein the case of a 54-year-old man who underwent mitral valve repair seven years previously for myxomatous anterior mitral valve prolapse and severe regurgitation. The patient was asymptomatic at the current follow-up; however, his color Doppler echocardiogram showed grade II mitral regurgitation with a shunt between the left ventricular outflow tract and the right atrium, just above the tricuspid septal leaflet, known as an acquired Gerbode defect, a rare entity.

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