Impact of Post-Procedural Change in Left Ventricle Systolic Function on Survival after Percutaneous Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how the changes of left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) between admission and discharge affected the long-term outcome in patients who underwent percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair for secondary mitral regurgitation. BACKGROUND: An acute impairment of LVEF after surgical repair of mitral regurgitation, known as afterload mismatch, has been associated with increased all-cause mortality. Afterload mismatch after percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair has been postulated to be a transient phenomenon. METHODS: This study is based on a single-center, retrospective, observational registry of patients who underwent percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair with the MitraClip (Abbot Vascular) system for the treatment of symptomatic, moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation. We included data on 399 patients who underwent percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair for secondary mitral regurgitation. Expert echocardiographers assessed LVEF before the procedure and at discharge. The patients were divided into three groups according to the difference of periprocedural LVEF measurements: unchanged (n = 318), improved (n = 40), and decreased (n = 41) LVEF. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 2.0 years. When adjusted for gender, NYHA class and estimated glomerular filtration rate, decreased postprocedural LVEF was associated with an increased risk of death (adjusted HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.26-3.34) and increased postprocedural LVEF with a reduced risk of death (adjusted HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24-0.91) compared to unchanged LVEF. Conclusion: Among patients who underwent percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair, decreased postprocedural LVEF was associated with increased mortality, while improved LVEF was associated with lower mortality compared to unchanged LVEF.

Incidence, Timing, Causes and Predictors of Early and Late Re-Hospitalization in Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair With the MitraClip System.

The pattern and reasons for re-hospitalization (RH) after MitraClip implantation are not well characterized. A total of 322 consecutive MitraClip patients were included, with data stratified by RH status. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify predictors of early (30-day) and late (30-day to 12-month) RH. Eighty-nine patients (27.6%) were readmitted to hospital during the study period and early RH occurred in 27%. The median time from MitraClip to RH was 99 days. RH was mostly related to cardiovascular causes (66.3%). Anemia and gastrointestinal bleeding were the most frequent noncardiovascular causes. Independent predictors of early RH were length of stay ≥3 days during the index procedure (odds ratio [OR] 4.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32 to 12.91), reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction ≥5% after MitraClip implantation (OR 4.88, 95% CI 1.36 to 18.91), and severe systolic pulmonary artery pressure ≥60 mm Hg at discharge (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.23 to 11.26). Conversely, the independent predictors of late RH were device failure (OR 4.02, 95% CI 1.22 to 13.25) and systolic pulmonary artery pressure ≥60 mm Hg at discharge (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.01 to 5.44). In patients with early RHs, survival was significantly worse at 12 months compared with patients with late RH and no-RH (69.3% vs 82.6% vs 86%, p <0.001). In conclusion, RH is not uncommon after MitraClip implantation and cardiovascular causes represent its most frequent etiology. Clinical and echocardiographic predictors of early and late RH can be identified at discharge. Early RH carries a worse prognosis than late RH.

Unusual interatrial membrane in the left atrium: A newer obstacle for transseptal-based percutaneous mitral valve repair techniques?

We present a case of a patient with severe mitral regurgitation referred to our Institution for an echocardiographic examination as part of the routine workup to assess the eligibility for mitral valve percutaneous repair with either the MitraClip or Cardioband systems. Echocardiography showed the presence of an unusual interatrial membrane in the left atrium that represented a contraindication for the puncture of the interatrial septum. The patient was finally deferred to percutaneous mitral valve replacement using transapical access.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system in the elderly: One-year outcomes from the GRASP registry.

BACKGROUND: Although mitral regurgitation (MR) affects a relevant and increasing number of elderly, an optimal management of this high-risk population is challenging. METHODS AND RESULTS: The aim of this prospective, observational study was to compare one-year outcomes of MitraClip therapy in high surgical risk patients with moderate-to-severe or severe MR between patients aged <75 versus ≥75years. A total of 180 patients were included: 92 were <75years and 88 were ≥75years old. At one-year follow-up the primary efficacy endpoint (composite of death, surgery for mitral valve dysfunction and grade 3+ or 4+ MR) occurred in 41 patients (24.5%), with similar rates between those aged <75years (23.9%) and those ≥75years (25.2%), p=0.912. A total of 21 (12.2%) deaths were observed within 1year after the MitraClip procedure, without significant differences in cumulative mortality rates between elderly and younger patients (10.8% vs. 13.3%, respectively, p=0.574). Compared with baseline, the significant reduction in MR severity achieved after the procedure was sustained at one-year follow-up, in both elderly and younger patients and a significant improvement in NYHA functional class was observed in both groups. A total of 18 (10.0%) patients experienced a re-hospitalization for acute heart failure within one-year after the MitraClip procedure, with no significant differences between elderly and younger. At one-year follow-up both elderly and younger patients showed significant reductions in left ventricular volumes, with changes of similar extent between the two subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: MitraClip therapy can be considered a viable option also among subsets with more advanced age.

Impact of chronic kidney disease on outcomes after percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system: insights from the GRASP registry.

AIMS: Our aim was to evaluate the impact of baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) on clinical outcomes after percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (PMVR). METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and fourteen consecutive patients dichotomised by the presence of baseline CKD (n=113) or no-CKD (n=101) had their clinical outcomes compared up to 12-month follow-up. The primary safety endpoint was the incidence of major adverse events and the primary efficacy endpoint was freedom from death, surgery for MV dysfunction, or grade ≥3+ MR. The primary safety endpoint was demonstrated in 12.4% vs. 2.0% in CKD and no-CKD patients, respectively (p=0.003). The primary efficacy endpoint at 12 months was significantly lower in CKD patients (65.8% vs. 84.2%, respectively, log-rank p=0.005). While MR reduction and NYHA functional class improvement were mostly sustained and equivalent up to 12 months in no-CKD patients, they were impaired in CKD patients. Baseline CKD was an independent predictor of the primary efficacy endpoint (adjusted HR 2.48, 95% CI: 1.29 to 4.79, p=0.006) and calcified leaflet predicted grade ≥3+ MR at 12 months (adjusted HR 6.56, 95% CI: 2.71 to 15.88, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CKD patients had worse clinical outcomes compared with no-CKD patients post PMVR. CKD was an independent predictor of the primary efficacy endpoint, whereas calcified leaflet was an independent predictor of grade ≥3+ MR at 12 months.

Early results of MitraClip system implantation by real-time three-dimensional speckle-tracking left ventricle analysis.

AIMS: To appraise the early effect of percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system on myocardial function using real-time three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3D-STE). METHODS: Consecutive patients with moderate-to-severe or severe mitral regurgitation, undergoing mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system, were prospectively evaluated during the peri-procedural workout and follow-up. Left ventricular deformation was evaluated by a two-dimensional and 3D speckle-tracking analysis. 3D-STE acquisitions were elaborated obtaining real-time 3D global longitudinal strain evaluation, and by appraising both volumetric and hemodynamic parameters (i.e. left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular end-systolic volume, left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac output, and stroke volume). RESULTS: In all, 30 patients were included. At 1-month follow-up, 3D-STE analysis revealed no changes in left ventricular end-diastolic volume (162.6 ±â€Š73.7 ml at baseline vs. 159.8 ±â€Š64.5 ml at 1-month follow-up; P = 0.63) and a downward trend in left ventricular end-systolic volume (104.7 ±â€Š52.0 vs. 100.1 ±â€Š50.4 ml, respectively; P = 0.06). Left ventricular ejection fraction did not significantly increase (38.1 ±â€Š11.3% at baseline vs. 39.4 ±â€Š11.0% at 1-month follow-up; P = 0.20). No significant changes were reported in cardiac output (4.3 ±â€Š2.0 l/min at baseline vs. 4.0 ±â€Š1.5 l/min at follow-up; P = 0.377) and in stroke volume (59.5 ±â€Š25.5 ml at baseline vs. 59.9 ±â€Š20.7 ml at follow-up; P = 0.867). On the contrary, left ventricular deformation capability significantly improved, with the real-time 3D global longitudinal strain value changing from -9.8 ±â€Š4.1% at baseline to -11.0 ±â€Š4.4% at follow-up (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Accurately assessing myocardial function by the use of 3D-STE, this study reported irrelevant early changes in left ventricular size, but a positive effect on left ventricular deformation capability following mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system. These preliminary results need to be confirmed in larger series and extended to long-term follow-up.

Association of tricuspid regurgitation with clinical and echocardiographic outcomes after percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip System: 30-day and 12-month follow-up from the GRASP Registry.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of baseline tricuspid regurgitation (TR) on the outcomes after percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) with the MitraClip system. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from 146 consecutive patients with functional mitral regurgitation (MR) were obtained. Two different groups, dichotomized according to the degree of pre-procedural TR (moderate/severe, n = 47 and none/mild, n = 99), had their clinical and echocardiographic outcomes through 12-month compared. At 30-day, the primary safety endpoint was significantly higher in moderate/severe TR compared with none/mild TR (10.6 vs. 2.0%, P = 0.035). Marked reduction in MR grades observed post-procedure were maintained through 12 months. Although NYHA functional class significantly improved in both groups compared with baseline, it was impaired in moderate/severe TR compared with the none/mild TR group (NYHA > II at 30 day: 33.3 vs. 9.2%, P < 0.001; at 1 year: 38.5 vs. 12.3%, respectively, P = 0.006). Left ventricle reverse remodelling and ejection fraction improvement were revealed in both groups. The primary efficacy endpoint at 12-month determined by freedom from death, surgery for mitral valve dysfunction, or grade ≥ 3+ MR was comparable between groups, but combined death and re-hospitalization for heart failure rates were higher in the moderate/severe TR group. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that baseline moderate/severe TR and chronic kidney disease were independent predictors of this combined endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: Although PMVR with MitraClip led to improvement in MR, TR, and NYHA functional class in patients with baseline moderate/severe TR, the primary safety endpoint at 30-day was impaired, while moderate/severe TR independently predicted death and re-hospitalization for heart failure at 12-month.

One- and twelve-month safety and efficacy outcomes of patients undergoing edge-to-edge percutaneous mitral valve repair (from the GRASP Registry).

The aim of this study was to report on the 30-day and 1-year outcomes of percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip technique in patients with grade ≥3+ mitral regurgitation (MR) at high risk for conventional surgical therapy enrolled in the prospective Getting Reduction of Mitral Insufficiency by Percutaneous Clip Implantation (GRASP) registry. Acute device success was defined as residual MR ≤2+ after clip implantation. The primary safety end point was the rate of major adverse events at 30 days. The primary efficacy end point was freedom from death, surgery for mitral valve dysfunction, or grade ≥3+ MR at 30 days and 1 year. A total of 117 patients were treated. Eighty-nine patients (76%) presented with functional MR and 28 patients (24%) with organic MR. Acute device success was observed in all patients. Device implantation time significantly diminished with experience and varied significantly between cases with 1 versus ≥2 clips. No procedural mortality was recorded. Major adverse events occurred in 4 patients at 30 days (4.3%). Deterioration to MR ≥3+ was recorded in 25% of patients with degenerative MR and 7% of those with functional MR at 1 year. No surgery for mitral valve dysfunction occurred within 1 year. Freedom from death, surgery for mitral valve dysfunction, or grade ≥3+ MR was 96.4% and 75.8% at 30 days and 1 year, respectively. No significant differences were noted in the primary efficacy end point between patients with degenerative MR and those with functional MR. In conclusion, percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip technique was shown to be safe and reasonably effective in 117 patients from a real-world setting.

Three-dimensional echocardiographic and surgical findings in mitral mechanical valve dysfunction.

Periodic echocardiographic evaluation of valve function is recommended in all patients with prosthetic valves. Usually trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) is satisfactory to assess prosthetic function. Nevertheless when the TTE is suboptimal or in case of strong clinical doubt of prosthetic valve dysfunction, trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) remains the gold standard of imaging. Recent advancements in echocardiography, with the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, provide an incremental diagnostic value as compared to two-dimensional TEE. In addition, 3D-TEE gives unique views that add extra morphological and anatomical information, providing a very accurate presurgical evaluation.

Objectifying the impact of incomplete revascularization by repeat angiographic risk assessment with the residual SYNTAX score after left main coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the prognostic accuracy of a standardized quantification of incomplete revascularization after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) named residual SYNTAX score (rSS). BACKGROUND: Prognostic implications of coronary lesions left untreated after ULMCA PCI are confounded by the lack of a uniform definition of incomplete revascularization. METHODS: Baseline SYNTAX score (bSS), rSS, and the difference between bSS and rSS (ΔSS ) were assessed in predicting the risk of 2-year cardiac mortality of 400 patients undergoing ULMCA PCI. RESULTS: The rSS and bSS showed comparable discrimination (rSS area under the curve [AUC] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.61-0.83; bSS AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.62-0.84). Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics were 0.60 for rSS (P = 0.44) and 2.45 (P = 0.12) for bSS, reflecting better calibration ability of the rSS. The ΔSS provided the worst discrimination and calibration characteristics (AUC 0.55; 95% CI 0.44-0.66; Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic 3.13, P = 0.08). The rSS was independently associated with the 2-year adjusted-risk of cardiac mortality (hazard ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.12, P = 0.001). The risk information from both the rSS and bSS slightly improved the discrimination ability compared with risk information from each single risk assessment (AUC 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.86) with a net reclassification improvement of +14.2% and +13.6% over rSS and bSS alone, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The rSS carries a prognostic value as independent predictor of 2-year cardiac mortality. Compared with a single assessment of the SYNTAX score, information coming from repeat assessment of the angiographic risk may improve the ability to discriminate and reclassify patients undergoing ULMCA PCI.

Comparative one-year effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting in patients <75 versus ≥75 years with unprotected left main disease (from the CUSTOMIZE Registry).

There is a lack of knowledge on the interaction between age and left main coronary artery revascularization. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with left main coronary artery disease aged <75 versus ≥75 years. Of a total of 894 patients included, 692 (77.4%) were aged <75 years and 202 (23.6%) ≥75 years. PCI was found to be significantly different from CABG with respect to the composite of major adverse cardiac events at 1-year follow-up in patients aged <75 years (15.5% vs 8.5%, p = 0.01) but not in those aged ≥75 years (16.4% vs 13.9%, p = 0.65). This finding was consistent after statistical adjustment for baseline confounders in the 2 groups (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 4.1, p = 0.016 in younger patients; AHR 0.9, 95% confidence interval 0.3 to 3.0, p = 0.88 in older patients). In the 2 groups, PCI and CABG showed similar adjusted risks for all-cause death, cardiac death, and myocardial infarction. Target lesion revascularization occurred more frequently in patients aged <75 years treated with PCI compared to CABG (AHR 5.1, 95% confidence interval 1.9 to 13.6, p = 0.001) but not in those aged ≥75 years. A significant interaction between age and treatment with regard to major adverse cardiac events was identified (adjusted p for interaction = 0.034). In conclusion, compared to younger patients, elderly patients with left main disease are likely to derive the maximal gain from a less invasive procedure such as PCI.

Left cardiac chambers reverse remodeling after percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system.

BACKGROUND: Successful mitral valve surgical repair, decreasing volume overload, has been shown to provide reverse left ventricular (LV) and/or left atrial remodeling in most patients. Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system (Abbott, Abbott Park, IL) has been associated with favorable clinical outcomes in patients with mitral regurgitation at high risk of surgery. However, specific data on left cardiac chambers reverse remodeling after such procedures are limited. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of consecutive patients at high risk of surgery, with moderate-to-severe or severe mitral regurgitation undergoing MitraClip system implantation. Follow-up echocardiography was performed at 6 months. The evaluated parameters were the LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes, LV sphericity index, LV ejection fraction, and left atrial volume index. Reverse LV remodeling was defined as a decrease of 10% in the LV end-diastolic volume index. RESULTS: The study population included 44 patients: 14 with degenerative and 30 with functional mitral regurgitation. At 6 months of follow-up, significant reductions in the median and interquartile range of the sphericity index (from 0.57 [interquartile range 0.54-0.62] to 0.54 [interquartile range 0.50-0.58]; P < .001), LV end-diastolic volume index (from 79.4 mL/m(2) [interquartile range 63.0-102.2] to 60.7 mL/m(2) [50.8-84.4]; P < .001), and LV end-systolic volume index (from 49.3 mL/m(2) [interquartile range 28.2-70.5] to 28.9 mL/m(2) [interquartile range 22.2-55.8]; P < .001) were observed. The LV ejection fraction improved significantly (from 38.0% [interquartile range 30.0-55.0%] to 46.0% [interquartile range 35.0-58.0%]; P < .001) from baseline to 6 months. Minor differences in the left atrial volume index were observed. Reverse remodeling, according to the specified definition, was observed in 77.3% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The present study reports positive LV reshape effects after mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system, showing significant improvements in LV size and function.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair in patients with prior cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The safety of percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system has been documented. However, few data are available on high-risk patients not amenable to surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with prior cardiac surgery undergoing MitraClip therapy (Abbott, Abbott Park, Chicago, IL, USA) for severe mitral regurgitation. METHODS: We reported two cases of percutaneous treatment of severe mitral regurgitation performed in patients who had previously undergone cardiac surgery with the implantation of mechanical prosthetic aortic valve. RESULTS: In both the reported cases a sustained reduction in mitral regurgitation severity was obtained at two-year follow-up, with a relevant improvement in terms of clinical status and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous mitral valve repair using the MitraClip system represents a viable treatment choice for severe mitral regurgitation in high-risk patients who have previously undergone cardiac surgery.