Importance of concomitant functional mitral regurgitation on survival in severe aortic stenosis patients undergoing aortic valve replacement

BACKGROUND Mitral regurgitation(MR)is commonly seen in patients with severe aortic stenosis(AS)undergoing aortic valve replacement(AVR).But the long-term implications of MR in AS are unknown.AIM To investigate MR’s impact on survival of patients undergoing surgical AVR for severe AS.METHODS Of the 740 consecutive patients with severe AS evaluated between 1993 and 2003,287 underwent AVR forming the study cohort.They were followed up to death or till the end of 2019.Chart reviews were performed for clinical,echocardiographic,and therapeutic data.MR was graded on a 1-4 scale.Mortality data was obtained from chart review and the Social Security Death Index.Survival was analyzed as a function of degree of MR.RESULTS The mean age of the severe AS patients who had AVR(n=287)was 72±13 years,46%women.Over up to 26 years of follow up,there were 201(70%)deaths,giving deep insights into the determinants of survival of severe AS who had AVR.The 5,10 and 20 years survival rates were 75%,45%and 25%respectively.Presence of MR was associated with higher mortality in a graded fashion(P=0.0003).MR was significantly associated with lower left ventricular(LV)ejection fraction and larger LV size.Impact of MR on mortality was partially mediated through lower LV ejection fraction and larger LV size.By Cox regression,MR,lower ejection fraction(EF)and larger LV end-systolic dimension were independent predictors of higher mortality(χ^(2)=33.2).CONCLUSION Presence of greater than 2+MR in patients with severe AS is independently associated with reduced survival in surgically managed patients,an effect incremental to reduced EF and larger LV size.We suggest that aortic valve intervention should be considered in severe AS patients when>2+MR occurs irrespective of EF or symptoms.

The Structural Impact of Aortic Valve Replacement on Mitral Regurgitation

Background: Structural changes to the mitral annulus occur following aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe aortic stenosis which may influence functional mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods: A retrospective review of 44 patients who underwent open AVR for aortic stenosis at a single center from 2010-2013 was performed. Patients undergoing concomitant aortic root surgery or with severe MR were excluded. MR was evaluated with preoperative and postoperative transthoracic echocardiograms. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to assess for factors associated with postoperative MR improvement and worsening. Results: Prior to AVR, none had severe MR, 5% (2 patients) had moderate, 9% (4 patients) mild-to-moderate, 46% (20 patients) mild, and 23% (9 patients) trace MR. Of patients with pre-operative MR, 44% (16 patients) experienced improvement of MR. Six patients had worsening of MR and the remaining 22 patients had no change. Cases of more severe MR were more likely to improve compared with mild or trace MR (P = 0.04). MR worsening was significantly more likely in patients with bicuspid aortic valves (83% vs. 24%;P = 0.004), and with larger aortic annulus diameters (P = 0.03). MR worsening was less frequent in cases of mitral annular calcification (0% vs 42%;P = 0.04) and left atrial enlargement (17% vs 65%;P = 0.03). Logistic regression analysis revealed negative predictors for MR improvement were mitral annular calcification (P = 0.04) and larger aortic annulus diastolic diameter (P = 0.05). Conclusion: Structural factors such as aortic annular size, mitral annular calcification and valve morphology may impact MR following AVR and should be investigated further as potential targets of surgical therapy.

Transfemoral aortic valve implantation in the case of pre-existing mitral prosthesis and pure aortic regurgitation: A case report

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)is recommended in patients with severe aortic stenosis who have high surgical risk.However,in the pre-existing mechanical mitral valve prosthesis and natural pure aortic regurgitation,TAVR is relatively contraindicated.In this report,we described one case of TAVR with native aortic regurgitation in the presence of mechanical mitral valve prosthesis.CASE SUMMARY A 64-year-old man with a medical history of mitral valve replacement had severe dyspnea and was symptomatic even at rest for 3 mo.His echocardiography showed severe native pure aortic regurgitation.His euroscore was 15.A TAVR procedure with an evolut R was planned.A 34 mm evolut R was placed by transesophageal echocardiography.The mitral prosthesis was functioning normally,and mild-moderate paravalvular leakage was evident by transesophageal echocardiography.The patient recovered without any complication.At 1 mo follow up,the patient was well,and no paravalvular leakage was noted.CONCLUSION TAVR for pure aortic regurgitation in the presence of prosthetic mitral valve can be a safe procedure.

Predictors of persistence of functional mitral regurgitation after cardiac resynchronization therapy:Review of literature

Functional mitral regurgitation is a common finding among heart failure patients with ischemic and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathies.The presence of moderate or severe mitral regurgitation is associated with higher morbidity and mortality.Heart failure patients meeting electrocardiogram and left ventricle function criteria are good candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy,which may reduce the degree of functional mitral regurgitation in the short and long term,specifically targeting myocardial dyssynchrony and inducing left ventricle reverse remodeling.In this article,we analyze data from the literature about predictors of mitral regurgitation improvement after cardiac resynchronization therapy implantation.

Severe Mitral Regurgitation Due to Pacing in Patient Post Aortic Valve Replacement (A Case Report)

Epicardial Cardiac pacing may lead to severe Mitral Regurgitation by one of the following mechanisms: 1) Inappropriate Atrioventricular interval. 2) Myocardial ischemia due to fast heart rate may cause transient papillary muscle dysfunction. 3) Right Ventricular apical pacing may lead to Left Ventricular dyssynchrony in the presence of optimal Atrioventricular synchrony. Acute severe Mitral Regurgitation leading to acute severe hemodynamic deterioration is a reported complication of Permanent Pacemaker insertion. Our case demonstrated acute severe MR as a consequence of RV Pacing leading to acute hemodynamic deterioration, which was relieved on withdrawal of pacing. Left Ventricular dyssynchrony can be relieved by reducing the peacemaker rate or changing to biventricular pacing, this reduces the severity of Mitral Regurgitation and improves the hemodynamics due to simultaneous activation of left and right ventricles. This case illustrates the acute and potentially dramatic effects of intra-Left Ventricular dyssynchrony upon Mitral Valve function. Informed consent was obtained from the patient to report the case. Thus right ventricular pacing can cause left ventricular dyssynchrony leading to worsening of Mitral Regurgitation. It is important to pay attention to mode of pacing when evaluating Mitral Regurgitation in patients with Right Ventricular pacemaker and unstable hemodynamics after initiation of pacing.

Clinical features and treatment options for mitral regurgitation in elderly inpatients

Objective To summarize clinical characteristics and treatment strategy of Chinese elderly mitral regurgitation （MR） inpatients under the current guidelines, and to identify factors related to treatment options in them. Methods A single center retrospective study was conducted in which patients hospitalized in Fuwai hospital from May ist of 2014 to April 30 of 2015 with moderate to severe MR assessed by transthoraeic echocardiography were enrolled consecutively （n = 1741）. Patients 〉 60 years old were grouped as elderly group （n = 680） and patients 〈 60 years were grouped as control group （n = 1061）. The elderly group was categorized into two subgroups based on surgical status. Results The mean age of the elderly group was 66.98 i 5.94 years. The most common reason of MR in elderly group was degenerative MR （41.18%）. Atherosclerotic risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or hyperlipidaemia were more commonly observed in elderly group than the control group （45.44% vs. 25.17%, P 〈 0.001; 19.56% vs. 8.48%, P 〈 0.001; 35.29% vs. 19.51%, P 〈 0.001）. Elderly group had higher Enroscore Ⅱ score （5.54 ± 2.42 vs. 3.15 ± 1.66）, greater left ventricular end diastolic diameter （LVEDD） （57.72±12.3 vs. 57.33 ± 10.19 ram） and a lower surgery rate （54.71% vs. 63.91%）; P 〈 0.05. Age, left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）, regurgitation grade, Eu- roScore-Ⅱ high risk stratification and having diabetes were identified as factors associated with therapy decisions in elderly MR patients. Conclusions Valve surgery was denied in 45.29% of elderly MR inpatients. Older age, impaired LVEF, lower regurgitation grade, Euro- Score-Ⅱ high risk stratification, and having diabetes were factors most significantly associated with surgery denial among elderly Chinese inpatients with MR.

Percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction with mitral regurgitation

Ischemic mitral regurgitation （IMR） is a common complication of acute myocardial infarction （AMI）. Current evidences suggest that revascularization of the culprit vessels with percutaneous coronary artery intervention （PCI） or coronary artery bypass grafting can be beneficial for relieving IMR. A 2.5-year follow-up data of a 61-year-old male patient with ST-segment elevation AMI complicated with IMR showed that mitral regurgitation area increased five days after PCI, and decreased to lower steady level three months after PCI. This finding suggest that three months after PCI might be a suitable time point for evaluating the possibility oflMR recovery and the necessity of surgical intervention of the mitral valve for AMI patient.

Transient severe mitral regurgitation after paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in patient with WPW syndrome

A 65-year-old woman was presented with acute ab- dominal pain. The initial heart rate was 170 beats/min and the ECG showed supraventricular tachycardia （Figure IA）. After intra-venous adenosine administered, it recovered to sinus rhythm and the follow-up ECG showed WPW pattern （Figure 1B）. The echocardiography revealed mitral valve prolapse of mid portion of anteromedial valve leaflet （A2） with severe mitral regurgitation （MR） （Figure 2）.

Catheter-based intervention for symptomatic patient with severe mitral regurgitation and very poor left ventricular systolic function-Safe but no room for complacency

Many patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction have concomitant mitral regurgitation(MR). Their symptoms and prognosis worsen with increasing severity of MR. Percutaneous Mitra Clip® can be used safely to reduce the severity of MR even in patients with advanced heart failure and is associated with improved symptoms, quality of life and exercise tolerance. However, a few patients with very poor left ventricular systolic function may experience significant haemodynamic disturbance in the peri-procedural period. We present three such patients, highlighting some of the potential problems encountered and discuss their possible pathophysiological mechanisms and safety measures.

Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve implantation after late migration of balloon expandable Sapien- XT prosthesis in a severe pure aortic regurgitation case

A 76-year old female, was admitted in our cardiac surgery clinic to perform surgical aortic valve replacement due to a severe aortic regurgitation with symptoms of congestive heart failure. Her past medical history included moderately impaired renal function （GFR 48 mL/min） and arterial hy- pertension.

Calculation of left ventricular diastolic time constant(Tau) in dogs with aortic regurgitation using continuous-wave Doppler spectra

OBJECTIVE To investigate a new noninvasive method for calculating left ventricular diastolic time constant(Tau) through a continuous-wave aortic regurgitation Doppler spectrum.METHODS According to ultrasound guidance, twenty-four animal models(beagles) of aortic regurgitation and acute ischemic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were created. The left ventricular diastolic function was manipulated with dobutamine or esmolol and fifty-nine hemodynamic stages were achieved. Raw audio signals of the continuous-wave Doppler spectra were collected, and new aortic regurgitation Doppler spectra were built after reprocessing by a personal computer. The updating time of the spectral line was 0.3 ms. The new Doppler spectra contour line was automated using MATLAB(MATrix LABoratory, MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA), and two time intervals,(t2–t1) and(t3–t1) were measured on the ascending branch of the aortic regurgitation Doppler spectrum. Then, the two time intervals were substituted into Bai's equations, and Doppler-derived Tau(Tau-D)was resolved and compared with catheter-derived Tau(Tau-c).RESULTS There is no significant difference between Tau-D and Tau-c(45.95 ± 16.90 ms and 46.81 ± 17.31 ms, respectively;P >0.05). Correlation analysis between Tau-c and Tau-D suggested a strong positive relationship(r = 0.97, P = 0.000). A Bland-Altman plot of Tau-c and Tau-D revealed fair agreement.CONCLUSIONS This new calculation method is simple, convenient, and shows a strong positive relationship and fair agreement with the catheter method.

A Rare Case of Improved Mitral Regurgitation after the Inter-Atrial Septal Defect Created during an Unsuccessful Percutaneous Mitra-Clip Placement Attempt

Percutaneous mitral valve repair has shown to be a less-invasive treatment option for patients with symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) with multiple comorbidities. We describe a case of improved mitral regurgitation due to improved atrial fibrillation secondary to left atrial pressure relief after the inter-atrial defect created during an unsuccessful mitraclip placement attempt. Transthoracic Echocardiogram that was performed on admission showed severe mitral valve regurgitation. She was not a surgical candidate due to multiple co-morbidities. Patient was then medically optimized and a percutaneous MitraClip placement (PMCP) was attempted but was unsuccessful due to excessive trans-mitral gradient and the procedure was aborted. However, left atrial pressure decreased, likely secondary to inter-atrial septal defect created by the procedure. Transesophageal echocardiogram performed post-op showed moderate and improved mitral regurgitation and sinus rhythm. Attempts to convert atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm to improve mitral regurgitation had to be made before continuing with a mitral clip placement procedure in our case. In our case, the procedure itself did not help patient’s symptoms, but the resulting acute atrial pressure relief improved mitral regurgitation overall due to left to right shunt from iASD, which also helped the rhythm.

Papillary Muscle Relocation in Secondary Mitral Regurgitation: Midterm Outcomes

Background: Mitral valve repair in secondary mitral regurgitation is still uncertain as the chance of recurrence is approximately 30 percent after solely undersized annuloplasty. Some procedures adding to the subvalvular level are proposed to alleviate the recurrent rate. This study was to evaluate the clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of papillary muscle relocation plus undersized ring in secondary mitral regurgitation (2nd MR). Methods: Medical records of moderate to severe 2nd MR with tethering depth of more than 1 cm patients who underwent papillary muscle relocation plus undersized ring from 2014 to 2020 were reviewed. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters before and after operation were analyzed. Results: Thirty-two patients were included during the 6-year period. There was no perioperative mortality. Two patients died at one year from ischemic stroke and car accidents with overall 5-year survival of 93.7%. All patients were in NYHA class I and II with MR grading as trivial or mild at a median follow-up of 33 months. Postoperative mean tenting depth, area and posterior leaflet angle decreased remarkably from 1.18 cm, 2.61 cm2 and 46.5 degree to 0.65 cm, 1.22 cm2 and 28.6 degree, respectively (p 0.001, 0.02, and 0.01). Moreover, left ventricular function and remodeling were also notably improved (EF;38.2% vs 49.1%: p = 0.018, LVEDD;62.8 vs 54.6 mm: p = 0.005, LVESD;50.2 vs 42.4 mm: p = 0.01). Conclusions: Papillary muscle relocation combined with undersized annuloplasty improved mid-term clinical outcomes. Apart from reduction of recurrent MR rate, restoration of mitral configuration and reverse LV remodeling could be the effect of adding subvalvular correction in this pathology.

Asymptomatic Mitral Regurgitation Caused by an Isolated Mitral Leaflet Cleft in a Young Adult: A Case Report

We report the case of an 18-year-old young man without previous medical history, who was referred for evaluation of an asymptomatic cardiac murmur. Physical examination found holosystolic 4-5/6 apical murmur with normal ECG. Bidimensionnal (2D) echocardiography revealed severe mitral regurgitation with thin mitral leaflets. Three dimensional (3D) Echocardiography done for better assessment of mitral valve regurgitation mechanism revealed an isolated mitral leaflet cleft, without signs of endocarditis or traumatic lesion. Regarding the absence of symptoms and excellent maximal exercise tolerance at stress echocardiography, a repair surgery wasn’t offered. Isolated mitral leaflet cleft is a rare congenital anomaly, in adults, the cleft may be an incidental finding that remains asymptomatic for years when the leak is well tolerated. 2D combined with 3D echocardiography is key for diagnosis and surgery guidance.

Transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect in patients with aortic valve prolapse and mild aortic regurgitation:feasibility and preliminary outcome

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility,safety and efficacy of transcathcter closure of ventricular septal defect(VSD)in patients with aortic valve prolapse(AVP)and mild aortic regurgitation(AR).Methods:Between January 2008 and July 2014,transcatheter closure of VSD was attempted in 65 patients.Results:The total intermediate closure successful rate in all subjects was 96.9%.During the perioperative period,no death,major bleeding,pericardial tamponade,occluder dislodgement,residual shunt or hemolysis occurred.Two procedures had been forced to suspend due to significant aggregation of device related aortic regurgitation,three cases of transient complete left bundle branch block occurred but did not sustain.At 1-year followup,no patients had residual shunts and complications.Furthermore,grade of residual AR were relieved in 61.9%(39/63)cases and degree of AVP were ameliorated in 36.5%(23/63)patients;Conclusions:Transcatheter closure VSD in selected patients with AVP and mild AR is technically feasible and highly effective.Long term safety and efficacy needs to be assessed.

Clinically unrecognized mitral regurgitation is prevalent in lone atrial fibrillation

AIM:To investigate the prevalence of clinically unrecognized mitral regurgitation(MR) in lone atrial fibrillation(AF).METHODS:We studied the prevalence and severity of MR by transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) in patients with "lone" AF as compared to a matched cohort of patients in normal sinus rhythm(NSR) undergoing TEE for other indications besides recognized valvular heart disease.RESULTS:A total of 157 subjects(57 in the AF group and 100 in the NSR group) with structurally normal cardiac valves were included in the study.In the AF group,moderate MR or more was noted in 66% of thepatients,mild MR in 18%,trace or no MR in 16%.In the control group,moderate MR was noted in 6% of patients,mild MR 31%,trace or no MR in 63 % of patients.Moderate MR or greater was significantly more prevalent in the AF group compared to the NSR group(66% vs 6%,P < 0.0001).CONCLUSION:Clinically unrecognized moderate MR is prevalent in "lone" AF-either as an etiologic factor leading to "lone" AF or developing after onset of AF.

Mechanical dyssynchrony and deformation imaging in patients with functional mitral regurgitation

Chronic functional mitral regurgitation(FMR) is a frequent finding of ischemic heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM), associated with unfavourable prognosis. Several pathophysiologic mechanisms are involved in FMR, such as annular dilatation and dysfunction, left ventricle(LV) remodeling, dysfunction and dyssynchrony, papillary muscles displacement and dyssynchrony. The best therapeutic choice for FMR is still debated. When optimal medical treatment has already been set, a further option for cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT) and/or surgical correction should be considered. CRT is able to contrast most of the pathophysiologic determinants of FMR by minimizing LV dyssynchrony through different mechanisms: Increasing closing forces, reducing tethering forces, reshaping annular geometry and function, correcting diastolic MR. Deformation imaging in terms of two-dimensional speckle tracking has been validated for LV dyssynchrony assessment. Radial speckle tracking and three-dimensional strain analysis appear to be the best methods to quantify intraventricular delay and to predict CRT-responders. Speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with mitral valve regurgitation has been usually proposed for the assessment of LV and left atrial function. However it has also revealed a fundamental role of intraventricular dyssynchrony in determining FMR especially in DCM, rather than in ischemic cardiomyopathy in which MR severity seems to be more related to mitral valve deformation indexes. Furthermore speckle tracking allows the assessment of papillary muscle dyssynchrony. Therefore this technique can help to identify optimal candidates to CRT that will probably demonstrate a reduction in FMR degree and thus will experience a better outcome.

Real-time Three-Dimensional Color Doppler Flow Imaging： An Improved Technique for Quantitative Analysis of Aortic Regurgitation

The recently introduced real-time three-dimensional color Doppler flow imaging （RT-3D CDFI） technique provides a quick and accurate calculation of regurgitant jet volume （RJV） and fraction. In order to evaluate RT-3D CDFI in the noninvasive assessment of aortic RJV and regurgitant jet fraction （RJF） in patients with isolated aortic regurgitation, real-time three-dimensional echocardiographic studies were performed on 23 patients with isolated aortic regurgitation to obtain LV end-diastolic volumes （LVEDV）, end-systolic volumes （LVESV） and RJV, and then RJF could be calculated. The regurgitant volume （RV） and regurgitant fraction （RF） calculated by two-dimensional pulsed Doppler （2D-PD） method served as reference values. The results showed that aortic RJV measured by the RT-3D CDFI method showed a good correlation with the 2D-PD measurements （r= 0.93, Y=0.89X＋ 3.9, SEE= 8.6 mL, P〈0.001 ）; the mean （SD） difference between the two methods was - 1.5 （9.8） mL. % RJF estimated by the RT-3D CDFI method was also correlated well with the values obtained by the 2D-PD method （r=0.88, Y=0.71X＋ 14.8, SEE= 6.4 %, P〈0. 001）; the mean （SD） difference between the two methods was -1.2 （7.9） %. It was suggested that the newly developed RT-3D CDFI technique was feasible in the majority of patients. In patients with eccentric aortic regurgitation, this new modality provides additional information to that obtained from the two-dimensional examination, which overcomes the inherent limitations of two-dimensional echocardiography by depicting the full extent of the jet trajectory. In addition, the RT-3D CDFI method is quick and accurate in calculating RJV and RJF.

Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation

A 57-year-old man reported experiencing dyspnea after walking 100 feet that has been progressing despite medical therapy.He has two-pillow orthopnea and occasional nighttime dyspnea but no angina.He had an anterior myocardial infarction 5 years previously but did not seek medical care until 2 days after the event.Viability studies demonstrated only limited anterior wall viability.– Electrocardiogram:sinus rhythm with left bundle branch block.– Medications:furosemide,120 mg twice daily;metolazone,5 mg every other day;carvedilol,25 mg twice daily;lisinopril,40 mg daily;spironolactone,25 mg daily.

Management of Mitral Regurgitation in a Patient Contemplating Pregnancy

Management of rheumatic mitral regurgitation in a woman contemplating pregnancy presents unique challenges for the clinician.When tasked with taking care of this type of patient,attention needs to be paid to the patient’s functional status to determine if symptoms are present.In addition to this clinical assessment,transthoracic echocardiography is also critical.It provides insight into the etiology of the mitral regurgitation,assesses for the presence of concomitant mitral stenosis or other valvular abnormalities,characterizes the severity of mitral regurgitation through an integrative approach and identifi es high risk findings including progressive left ventricular(LV)dilation and LV dysfunction.Surgical intervention is recommended for symptomatic patients and in asymptomatic patients with evidence of progressive LV dilation and a LV ejection fraction of less than 60%.While the presence of pulmonary hypertension and atrial fi brillation have been shown to be risk factors in degenerative mitral regurgitation,the same has not been demonstrated in rheumatic mitral valve disease.While mitral regurgitation may be reasonably well tolerated during pregnancy,symptomatic patients are at higher risk for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes,and therefore,it is recommended that mitral valve surgery be performed prior to pregnancy.Once the decision has been made to proceed to surgery,mitral repair,performed at a Heart Valve Center of Excellence is recommended if possible due to improved outcomes.Mitral valve repair is possible in>80%cases of rheumatic mitral regurgitation.If repair is not possible,replacement with either a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve are reasonable options.There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach and the choice of prosthesis should be a shared decision between the patient and her treatment team.