Is a good perioperative echocardiographic result predictive of durability in ischemic mitral valve repair?

Serri, K.; Bouchard, D.; Demers, P.; Coutu, M.; Pellerin, M.; Carrier, M.; Perrault, L.P.; Cartier, R.; Pagé, P.; Cossette, M.; Basmadjian, A.J.

doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2005.09.037

« Previous Next »The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume 131, Issue 3 , Pages 565-573.e2, March 2006

Is a good perioperative echocardiographic result predictive of durability in ischemic mitral valve repair?

Read at the Eighty-fifth Annual Meeting of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery, San Francisco, Calif, April 10-13, 2005.

Montreal Heart Institute, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Received 7 July 2005; received in revised form 10 October 2005; accepted 20 October 2005. published online 31 January 2006.

Background

Chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation is associated with poor long-term survival. Despite the increasing popularity of valve repair, its durability and long-term outcome for ischemic mitral regurgitation have recently been questioned.

Methods

Seventy-eight patients underwent repair for ischemic mitral regurgitation between 1996 and 2002 at our institution. Of these patients, 73 had complete clinical and echocardiographic follow-up. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical data were obtained, and the results of echocardiograms were reviewed to assess the rate of recurrence of regurgitation after repair and to identify predictive factors.

Results

The mean preoperative mitral regurgitation grade, New York Heart Association class, and left ventricular ejection fraction were 2.72, 2.65, and 39.4%, respectively. Mortality was 12.3% at 30 days and 30.1% at a mean follow-up of 39 ± 25 months. Immediate postoperative echocardiography showed absent or mild mitral regurgitation in 89.4% of patients and showed moderate mitral regurgitation in 10.6%. Freedom from reoperation was 93.2%. Recurrent moderate mitral regurgitation (2+) was present in 36.7% of patients, and severe mitral regurgitation (3+ to 4+) was present in 20.0% at mean follow-up of 28.1 ± 22.5 months. Only age (P = .0130) and less marked preoperative posterior tethering (P = .0362) were predictive of recurrent mitral regurgitation. Patients with a preoperative New York Heart Association class greater than II and recurrent mitral regurgitation greater than 2+ had decreased survival (P = .0152 and P = .0450, respectively).

Conclusions

Significant recurrent mitral regurgitation occurs following repair for ischemic mitral regurgitation, despite good early results. This finding raises questions about the need for improved repair techniques, better patient selection, or eventual mitral valve replacement in selected patients.

CTSNet classification: 23 , 24 , 35

Abbreviations and Acronyms: AVR, aortic valve replacement , IMR, ischemic mitral regurgitation , LV, left ventricle , LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction , MR, mitral regurgitation , NYHA, New York Heart Association