Background: The purpose of this study is to compare mitral valve replacement (MVR) to anuloplasty (MAP) in patients with severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR).
Methods: Data of 43 patients with significant chronic FMR who underwent mitral valve operations from November 1999 through May 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. This reference group included patients who underwent MVR (n = 18) and MAP (undersized restrictive annuloplasty, n = 25). The mitral valve is replaced sparing the continuity between mitral valve and subvalvular apparatus. All patients had severe FMR, and 71.4% had New York Heart Association (NYHA) III or IV symptoms of heart failure, and 20% had preoperative intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) insertion. The MVR group had significantly higher risk patients with complex jet and advanced coaptation depth (13.3 +/- 2.1 versus 11.1 +/- 2.3 mm, p = 0.04).
Results: Hospital mortality was 9.3%. No statistical difference was found between the 2 groups in term of intraoperative data. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates at 1, 5 years was 82.6, 72.3% in MVR group, and 77.8, 69.7% in MAP group (p = 0.98). Freedom from Cardiac-related event at 5 years was 62.7% for MVR compared to 56.8 % for MAP (p = 0.75). At the last follow-up, recurrence of MR II or greater was present in 4 (14.8%) patients in the MAP group and only one patient required re-operation because of worsening heart failure. In multivariable analysis, independent predictor of increased cardiac-related event was associated with residual pulmonary hypertension (HR, 3.0: p = 0.021).
Conclusions: In high-risk patients with severe FMR. MVR seems to be a reasonable option.