Multicenter experience: early outcome of mitral valve repair in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation

Background Ischemic mitral regurgitation is associated with poor outcomes. The optimal surgical strategy for management of ischemic mitral regurgitation is still debated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the early mortality and morbidity of mitral valve repair in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods We performed a retrospective, observational, cohort study on prospectively collected data on 136 consecutive coronary artery bypass graft patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve repair between January 2016 and January 2020. Perioperative echocardiogram findings, operative procedures, and outcomes were analyzed. Results The overall mortality rate was 4.4%. Mitral valve repair with a low ejection fraction had a 4-fold increase in the risk of death compared to mitral valve repair with preserved ejection fraction > 30%. However, after adjusting for preoperative risk factors, the number of grafts was not an independent risk factor for mortality (odds ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.03–2.81, p = 0.84). Multivariable analysis showed that preoperative ejection fraction (odds ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.82–4.86, p < 0.01), preoperative left ventricular end-systolic dimension (odds ratio = 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 0.65–3.51, p < 0.01) and preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (odds ratio = 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.64–3.28, p = 0.04) were independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusions Mitral valve repair can be performed safely concomitantly with coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with moderate, moderately severe, and severe ischemic mitral regurgitation.