Outcome of edge-to-edge vs. surgical repair in patients with functional mitral regurgitation and reduced left ventricular function.

Background: This study aims to compare the midterm outcome of percutaneous edge-to-edge repair (TEER) using the first-generation MitraClip system (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA) with surgical repair, in patients with severe functional mitral regurgitation (fMR) and reduced left ventricular function (LVEF).

Methods: The data of consecutive patients with severe fMR and LVEF ≤ 45%, who underwent either isolated surgical repair or MitraClip implantation between January 2007 and December 2015, were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up data after 12 and 24 months were obtained in both groups. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to adjust for intergroup differences in baseline characteristics.

Results: A total of 167 patients with significant fMR and LVEF ≤ 45% were identified, who underwent either isolated surgical mitral valve repair (n = 83, 49.7%) or MitraClip (n = 84, 50.3%) implantation. Because the two groups had very different risk profiles, propensity scores were calculated for age, sex, EuroSCORE, LVEF, and coronary artery disease, which reduced the number of patients to 74 (38 in the clip group and 36 in the surgical group). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of survival, number of reinterventions, heart failure symptoms according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, degree of mitral regurgitation, and LVEF.

Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis of patients with severe fMR and LVEF ≤ 45%, the comparison between surgical repair, edge-to-edge repair and a first-generation MitraClip device showed similar midterm outcomes in terms of survival, number of reinterventions, NYHA class, degree of mitral regurgitation, and LVEF.