Should Patients With Severe Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation Delay Surgery Until Symptoms Develop?

In patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation, the development of even mild symptoms by the time of surgical referral is associated with deleterious changes in cardiac structure and function. Therefore, particularly because successful repair is highly likely, early surgery is justified in asymptomatic patients with degenerative disease and severe mitral regurgitation.