Mitral valve repair in patients with mitral regurgitation requires a precise evaluation of the mechanism of valvular pathology before surgery. Transesophageal echocardiography has become the principal method for imaging valvular pathology, especially with the latest introduction of multiplanar transesophageal technology. Traditionally, echocardiographic analysis of regurgitant mitral valves has concentrated on the description of abnormalities of leaflet motion such as prolapse, while surgical correction aims at restoring the coaptation of the edges of the leaflets. To reconcile these different approaches, the echocardiographic features the findings on direct inspection, and the types of repair performed were analyzed in 37 incompetent mitral valves. The zone of coaptation of the mitral valve was studied in a series of left ventricular long-axis views obtained with a transesophageal multiplanar echo-transducer from the anterolateral via the central, to the posteromedial segment. Four patterns of leaflet closure were found: normal apart from a dilated annulus (24%), normal apposition but absent coaptation (8%); asymmetrical apposition but intact coaptation (16%); and abnormal apposition and absent coaptation (52%). In addition leaflet motion was described (prolapse, retraction, normal), and the anteroposterior dimension of the mitral annulus was measured. There was a direct relationship between these echocardiographic findings and the types of reconstructive techniques used. The echocardiographic analysis offers a logical approach to the preoperative diagnosis of regurgitant mitral valves, with the possibility to predict the feasibility and the type of mitral repair.