Systematic transoesophageal echocardiography after mitral valve replacement: Rates and determinants of paravalvular regurgitation.

BACKGROUND

With the emergence of transcatheter mitral valve replacement, it appears crucial to provide contemporary references with which this new technology can be compared. At our institution, transoesophageal echocardiography is systematically performed before discharge after surgical mitral valve replacement.

AIM: To evaluate the rate and determinants of paravalvular regurgitation after surgical mitral valve replacement.

METHODS

We collected medical history, indication, type of surgery and in-hospital outcome in all consecutive patients who underwent a mitral valve replacement in the past 2 years at our institution. Paravalvular regurgitation was assessed semiquantitatively using transoesophageal echocardiography before discharge.

RESULTS

We enrolled 399 patients (mean age 61±16 years; 58% women; 27% with a history of cardiac surgery). Mitral valve replacement was performed mainly for rheumatic disease (44%). Most patients were severely symptomatic (70% in New York Heart Association class III/IV). A mechanical prosthesis was implanted in 60% and a bioprosthesis in 40%. In-hospital mortality was 10%. Transoesophageal echocardiography was performed in 310 patients (77%); the main reasons for not performing transoesophageal echocardiography were frailty (n=40, 10%), early death (n=19, 5%) and contraindication for transoesophageal echocardiography (n=10, 3%). The overall rate of paravalvular regurgitation was 8% (n=25); a grade ≥2 was observed in five patients (2%), and two patients had to be reoperated on. Mitral annular calcification was the main factor associated with paravalvular regurgitation (P=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical mitral valve replacement was associated with significant in-hospital mortality and morbidity. Using systematic transoesophageal echocardiography assessment, paravalvular regurgitation was not uncommon (8%), and was significantly linked to mitral annulus calcification. However, clinically significant leakage (≥grade 2) was rare (2%).