The impact of mitral valve morphology on the long-term outcome of mitral balloon valvuloplasty

Mid-term (up to 12 years) clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis

Background

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is still a concerning issue in developing countries. Among delayed RHD presentations, rheumatic mitral valve stenosis (MS) remains a prevalent finding. Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is the intervention of choice for severe mitral stenosis (MS). We aimed to assess the mid-term outcome of PTMC in patients with immediate success.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, out of 220 patients who had undergone successful PTMC between 2006 and 2018, the clinical course of 186 patients could be successfully followed. Cardiac-related death, undergoing a second PTMC or mitral valve replacement (MVR) were considered adverse cardiac events for the purpose of this study. In order to find significant factors related to adverse cardiac outcomes, peri-procedural data for the studied patients were collected.The patients were also contacted to find out their current clinical status and whether they had continued secondary antibiotic prophylaxis regimen or not. Those who had not suffered from the adverse cardiac events were additionally asked to undergo echocardiographic imaging, in order to assess the prevalence of mitral valve restenosis, defined as mitral valve area (MVA) < 1.5 cm² and loss of ≥ 50% of initial area gain.

Results

During the mean follow-up time of 5.69 ± 3.24 years, 31 patients (16.6% of patients) had suffered from adverse cardiac events. Atrial fibrillation rhythm (p = 0.003, HR = 3.659), Wilkins echocardiographic score > 8 (p = 0.028, HR = 2.320) and higher pre-procedural systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (p = 0.021, HR = 1.031) were three independent predictors of adverse events and immediate post-PTMC mitral valve area (IMVA) ≥ 2 cm² (p < 0.001, HR = 0.06) was the significant predictor of event-free outcome. Additionally, follow-up echocardiographic imaging detected mitral restenosis in 44 patients (23.6% of all patients). The only statistically significant protective factor against restenosis was again IMVA ≥ 2 cm² (p = 0.001, OR = 0.240).

Conclusion

The mid-term results of PTMC are multifactorial and may be influenced by heterogeneous peri-procedural determinants. IMVA had a great impact on the long-term success of this procedure. Continuing secondary antibiotic prophylaxis was not a protective factor against adverse cardiac events in this study. (clinicaltrial.gov registration: NCT04112108).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-021-02175-3.

Impact of preprocedural atrial fibrillation on immediate and long-term outcomes after successful percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty of significant mitral stenosis

Optimal time to perform percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) for patients with significant mitral stenosis (MS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial. We sought to identify prognostic factors and evaluate long-term clinical outcomes after PMV of 77 consecutive patients with MS with a mitral valve area (MVA) <1.5 cm². According to baseline heart rhythm, these patients were divided into sinus rhythm (SR; n = 24) and AF (n = 53) groups. The study endpoint was defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, admission for heart failure, mitral valve surgery, repeated PMV, and major cerebral vascular accident during follow-up. After successful PMV, there was no significant difference between the two groups in post-MVA and post-mitral mean pressure gradient. However, the New York Heart Association Functional Classification post-procedure was worse in the AF group (p < 0.01). In the AF group, event-free survival during follow-up was significantly lower compared with that of the SR group (p = 0.016). Independent predictors of clinical events were AF [hazard ratio (HR), 2.73; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.04-9.36; p = 0.03] and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (HR 2.57; 95 % CI 1.18-5.47; p = 0.017). Patients with AF at baseline were significantly associated with worse symptoms and higher event rates after successful PMV compared with those with SR. The clinical benefit of PMV may be considered for patients with MVA <1.5 cm² before the onset of AF.

A review of valve surgery for rheumatic heart disease in Australia

BACKGROUND

Globally, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains an important cause of heart disease. In Australia it particularly affects older non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal Australians and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Factors associated with the choice of treatment for advanced RHD remain variable and poorly understood.

METHODS

The Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons Cardiac Surgery Database was analysed. Demographics, co-morbidities, pre-operative status and valve(s) affected were collated and associations with management assessed.

RESULTS

Surgical management of 1384 RHD and 15843 non-RHD valve procedures was analysed. RHD patients were younger, more likely to be female and Indigenous Australian, to have atrial fibrillation (AF) and previous percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty (PBV). Surgery was performed on one valve in 64.5%, two valves in 30.0% and three valves in 5.5%. Factors associated with receipt of mechanical valves in RHD were AF (OR 2.69) and previous PBV (OR 1.98) and valve surgery (OR 3.12). Predictors of valve repair included being Indigenous (OR 3.84) and having fewer valves requiring surgery (OR 0.10). Overall there was a significant increase in the use of mitral bioprosthetic valves over time.

CONCLUSIONS

RHD valve surgery is more common in young, female and Indigenous patients. The use of bioprosthetic valves in RHD is increasing. Given many patients are female and younger, the choice of valve surgery and need for anticoagulation has implications for future management of RHD and related morbidity, pregnancy and lifestyle plans.

Computerized acoustic cardiography correlates with echocardiography and invasive haemodynamics after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy

BACKGROUND

Rheumatic mitral stenosis severity has been assessed by the systolic time interval between the QRS onset and the first heart sound (QS1) by phonocardiography. We hypothesized that non-invasive computerized acoustic cardiography could evaluate mitral stenosis severity compared with echocardiography and invasive haemodynamics in patients undergoing percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC).

METHODS

27 patients underwent computerized acoustic cardiography, echocardiography, and invasive haemodynamic measurements prior to and after PTMC.

RESULTS

The mean age was 31 ± 10 years, and 21 (78%) were female. By echocardiography, mitral valve area increased from 0.82 ± 0.14 to 1.50 ± 0.24 cm(2) (p < 0.0001). The QS1 interval decreased from 101.7 ± 12.9 to 93.2 ± 9.2 ms (p < 0.0001). The change in the QS1 interval correlated with the change in mitral valve area by echocardiography (p = 0.037), right ventricular systolic pressure (p < 0.0001), and the invasive mitral valve gradient (p = 0.076).

CONCLUSIONS

Acoustic cardiography may be used as an adjunctive non-invasive diagnostic tool to assess mitral stenosis severity.

Mitral balloon valvuloplasty

Percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (MBV) was introduced in 1984 by Inoue who developed the procedure as a logical extension of surgical closed commissurotomy. Since then, MBV has emerged as the treatment of choice for severe pliable rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS). With increasing experience and better selection of patient, the immediate results of the procedure have improved and the rate of complications declined. When the reported complications of MBV are viewed in aggregate, complications occur at approximately the following rates: mortality (0-0.5%), cerebral accident (1-2%), mitral regurgitation (MR) requiring surgery (1.6-3%). These complication rates compare favorably to those reported after surgical commissurotomy. Several randomized trials reported similar hemodynamic results with MBV and surgical commissurotomy. Restenosis after MBV ranges from 4% to 70% depending on the patient selection, valve morphology, and duration of follow-up. Restenosis was encountered in 31% of the author's series at mean follow-up 9 ± 5.2 years (range 1.5-19 years) and the 10, 15, and 19 years restenosis-free survival rates were (78 ± 2%) (52 ± 3%) and (26 ± 4%), respectively, and were significantly higher for patients with favorable mitral morphology (MES ⩽ 8) at 88 ± 2%, 67 ± 4% and 40 ± 6%), respectively (P < 0.0001). The 10, 15, and 19 years event-free survival rates were (88 ± 2%, 60 ± 4% and 28 ± 7%, respectively, and were significantly higher for patients with favorable mitral morphology (92 ± 2%, 70 ± 4% and 42 ± 7%, respectively (P < 0.0001). The effect of MBV on severe pulmonary hypertension, concomitant severe tricuspid regurgitation, left ventricular function, left atrial size, and atrial fibrillation are addressed in this review. In addition, the application of MBV in specific clinical situations such as in children, during pregnancy and for restenosis is discussed.