An introduction to the da Vinci Surgical System, presented by Vaughn Starnes, MD and Mark Cunningham, MD with the USC Cardiothoracic Surgeons.
The mitral valve is repaired by using a man-made fiber (Goretex) to replace stretched or broken chordae. This operation is being done with robotic assistance, but the valve can be repaired using conventional surgical approaches as well. By correcting the chordae, the leaflets of the mitral valve will meet in the correct plane and once again function as a one-way valve.