Prognostic value of impaired hepato‐renal function assessed by the MELD‐XI score in patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD)-XI score in patients undergoing PMVR with the MitraClip system. BACKGROUND: MELD-XI score, which was originally developed for prognostic assessment in patients with advanced liver disease, has been reported as a predictor of outcome in heart failure patients. METHODS: A total of 192 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) were included into final analysis. MELD-XI score was calculated on the day of the procedure and patients were categorized into three groups based on MELD-XI score and compared with regards to clinical characteristics and outcomes following PMVR. RESULTS: MELD-XI > 12 was associated with male gender, higher logistic EuroSCORE, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, enlarged right ventricular end-diastolic diameter, degree of mitral regurgitation, increased NT-proBNP serum levels and elevated right atrial pressures. Youden-Index revealed a cutoff of 16 in the MELD-XI score as best predictor of one-year all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test confirmed increased one-year mortality in patients with critically high score above 16 (mortality MELD-XI score > 16 vs 16-12 vs <12:39% vs 9%. vs 15%; P = 0.005). Compared to patients with lower MELD-XI score, these patients exhibited a more than 3-fold increased one-year mortality after PMVR. CONCLUSION: Given the high mortality in patients with a MELD-XI score > 16, these patients require a high-risk preoperative assessment and should undergo a careful discussion within the heart team for the best treatment option given the considerable one-year mortality following PMVR.