Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation: Assessment, Physical Examination, and Imaging

Implantation of one, two or multiple MitraClips for transcatheter mitral valve repair: insights from a 1824-patient multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) with the MitraClip device is an established treatment for mitral regurgitation (MR). More than one MitraClip may be implanted if a single one does not reduce MR adequately. We aimed at appraising the outlook of patients undergoing implantation of one, two or multiple MitraClips for TMVR.

METHODS

Exploiting the ongoing prospective GIse registry Of Transcatheter treatment of mitral valve regurgitaTiOn (GIOTTO) Study dataset, we compared patients, procedural details and outcomes distinguishing those receiving one, two or multiple MitraClips. The primary endpoint was the composite of 1-year cardiac death or rehospitalization for heart failure. Additional endpoints included all cause death, surgical mitral repair, and functional class. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazard analysis was used for confirmatory purposes.

RESULTS

As many as 1824 patients were included: 718 (39.4%) treated with a single MitraClip, and 940 (51.5%) receiving two MitraClips, and 166 (9.1%) receiving three or more. Significant differences were found for baseline features, including age, female gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, prior myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, permanent pacemaker, cardiac resynchronization therapy, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and prior mitral valve repair (all p<0.05). Several imaging features were also different, including left ventricular dimensions, MR severity and proportionality, mitral valve area, flail leaflet, and pulmonary vein flow (all p<0.05). Among procedural features, significant differences were found for anesthesia type, MitraClip type, fluoroscopy, device, and operating room times, postprocedural mitral gradient, residual MR, smoke-like effect, device success partial detachment and surgical conversion (all p<0.05). In-hospital death occurred more frequently in patients receiving multiple MitraClips, and the same applied severe residual MR (all p<0.05). Mid-term follow-up (15±13 months) showed significant difference in the risk of death, cardiac death, rehospitalization for heart failure, and their composites, mainly, but not solely, associated with multiple MitraClips (all p<0.05). Adjusted analysis confirmed the significantly increased risk of composite adverse events when comparing the multiple vs single MitraClip groups (p=0.014 for death and rehospitalization, p=0.013 for cardiac death or rehospitalization).

CONCLUSIONS

Implantation of one or two MitraClips is associated with favorable clinical outcomes. Conversely, bail-out implantation of three or more MitraClips may portend a worse long-term prognosis.

The current diagnosis and treatment of high-risk patients with chronic primary and secondary mitral valve regurgitation

Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is due primarily to either primary degeneration of the mitral valve with Barlow's or fibroelastic disease or is secondary to ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathies. Echocardiography is essential to assess MR etiology and severity, the remodeling of cardiac chambers and to characterize longitudinal chamber changes to determine optimal therapies. Surgery is recommended for severe primary MR if persistent symptoms are present or if left ventricle dysfunction is present with an EF <60% or a left ventricle end-systolic diameter ≥40 mm. For secondary MR, therapy of heart failure with vasodilators and diuretics improves forward cardiac output. Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) should be considered for severe MR due to ischemia. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, the characteristics, the management and the different interventions for high risk patients with chronic primary and secondary MR.

Surgical repair of mitral valve bileaflet prolapse in pediatric patients

BACKGROUND

Pediatric mitral regurgitation (MR), especially with bileaflet prolapse, is relatively rare, of high complexity, and frequently associated with other congenital cardiac abnormalities. It remains a major therapeutic challenge for surgeons. This study reports our experience of surgical treatment of this mitral disease and midterm follow-up results.

METHODS

Between January 2016 and April 2020, nine pediatric patients, six females and three males, age ranged from 3 to 12 years (median age was 6 years) with a weight range of 12-36 kg (median weight was 25 kg), who all had over moderate regurgitation caused by bileaflet prolapse with mean distance of leaflet coaptation beyond annular plane 5.89 ± 1.66 mm (4-9 mm), received mitral valve (MV) repair. Various surgical techniques were used to repair MV.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period was 23(6-51) months, only one patient had moderately severe recurrent of MR, no patient developed systolic anterior motion (SAM) or mitral stenosis. Freedom from reoperation was 100% during the follow-up period. Compared to preoperation, the left atrial (LA) diameter and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) decreased significantly from 2.94 ± 0.49 cm to 2.37 ± 0.38 cm (LA, p < .01) and from 4.13 ± 0.73 cm to 3.62 ± 0.49 cm (LVEDD, p < .01) respectively, ejection fraction (EF) decreased significantly (p < .05) from 68.56 ± 3.98% to 62.89 ± 4.48% before discharged.

CONCLUSION

We share our experience of surgical repair of mitral valve bileaflet prolapse in pediatric patients. Several surgical methods are considered to be used to repair the MV due to the high complexity of lesions. Anatomic correction or functional correction in our reports almost reaches the same result, while functional correction means simpler operation.