BackgroundIn a trial comparing coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) alone with CABG plus mitral-valve repair in patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation, we found no significant difference in the left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) or survival after 1 year. Concomitant mitral-valve repair was associated with a reduced prevalence of moderate or severe mitral regurgitation, but patients had more adverse events. We now report 2-year outcomes. MethodsWe randomly assigned 301 patients to undergo either CABG alone or the combined procedure. Patients were followed for 2 years for clinical and echocardiographic outcomes. ResultsAt 2 years, the mean (±SD) LVESVI was 41.2±20.0 ml per square meter of body-surface area in the CABG-alone group and 43.2±20.6 ml per square meter in the combined-procedure group (mean improvement over baseline, −14.1 ml per square meter and −14.6 ml per square meter, respectively). The rate of death was 10.6% in the CABG-alone group and 10.0% in the combined-...

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Two-year outcomes of surgical treatment of severe ischemic mitral regurgitation

Background Ischemic mitral regurgitation is associated with a substantial risk of death. Practice guidelines recommend surgery for patients with a severe form of this condition but acknowledge that the supporting evidence for repair or replacement is limited. Methods We randomly assigned 251 patients with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation to undergo either mitral-valve repair or chordal-sparing replacement in order to evaluate efficacy and safety. The primary end point was the left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) at 12 months, as assessed with the use of a Wilcoxon rank-sum test in which deaths were categorized below the lowest LVESVI rank. Results At 12 months, the mean LVESVI among surviving patients was 54.6±25.0 ml per square meter of body-surface area in the repair group and 60.7±31.5 ml per square meter in the replacement group (mean change from baseline, −6.6 and −6.8 ml per square meter, respectively). The rate of death was 14.3% in the repair group and 17.6% in the replacement g...

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Mitral-Valve Repair versus Replacement for Severe Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation

“ More than once in history the discovery of paradox has been the occasion for major reconstruction at the foundations of thought .” — W.V. Quine, The Ways 

One thing is certain: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) conveys adverse prognosis, doubling mortality after myocardial infarction (MI), in chronic heart failure, and after surgical or catheter revascularization.1–9 It is common and increases mortality even when mild,3–5 with a graded relationship between severity and reduced survival (Figure 1A).5 



Figure 1. A, Decreased survival after MI with increasing MR. Effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) area of 20 mm2 demarcates mild from moderate. Reprinted with permission from Grigioni et al.5 Copyright 2001, American Heart Association, Inc. B, Decreased survival after cardiogenic shock with increasing MR for comparable LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Reprinted with permission from Picard et al.8 Copyright 2003, American Heart Association, Inc.



In many other respects, however, ischemic MR has been a study in controversy and paradox. Its diagnosis is notoriously elusive, both by auscultation and intraoperatively. It may paradoxically decrease as driving pressure increases. Still commonly referred to as “papillary muscle dysfunction,” it cannot generally be produced by direct papillary muscle damage and may actually decrease with papillary muscle ischemia. Although leaflet motion is typically restricted, it may also be excessive, or both. Treatment benefit is hotly debated and will be difficult to resolve so long as existing therapies are incompletely effective in permanently abolishing MR. New therapeutic opportunities are perplexing in their diversity. By exploring such areas of confusion, we aim to clarify fundamental principles and achieve more effective solutions.

Ischemic MR is convenient shorthand for MR caused by changes in ventricular structure and function related ultimately to ischemia; it is predominantly postinfarction MR. Active ischemia can contribute, for example, creating intermittent “flash” pulmonary edema, …

Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation on the Threshold of a Solution From Paradoxes to Unifying Concepts

Percutaneous Mitral Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair: In-Hospital Results and 1-Year Follow-Up of 628 Patients of the 2011–2012 Pilot European Sentinel Registry

Secondary Mitral Regurgitation in Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Prognosis, and Therapeutic Considerations

Background— Patients who undergo ring annuloplasty for ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) often have persistent or recurrent MR. This may relate to persistent leaflet tethering from left ventricle (LV) dilatation that is not relieved by ring annuloplasty. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that recurrent MR in patients after ring annuloplasty relates to continued LV remodeling. Methods and Results— Serial echoes were reviewed in 30 patients (aged 72±11 years) who showed recurrent MR late (47±27 months) versus early (3.8±5.8 months) after ring annuloplasty for ischemic MR during coronary artery bypass grafting without interval infarction. Patients with intrinsic mitral valve disease were excluded. Echocardiographic measures of MR (vena contracta and jet area/left atrial area) and LV remodeling (LV dimensions, volumes, and sphericity) were assessed at each stage. The degree of MR increased from mild to moderate, on average, from early to late postoperative stages, without significant change in LV ejection fraction. Changes in MR paralleled increases in LV volumes and sphericity index at end-systole and end-diastole. The only independent predictor of late postoperative MR was LV sphericity index at end-systole. Conclusions— Recurrent MR late after ring annuloplasty is associated with continued LV remodeling, emphasizing its dynamic relation to the LV.

Stephen A. Tahta

Papers

Mechanism of Recurrent Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation After Annuloplasty: Continued LV Remodeling as a Moving Target