Preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump use and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for mitral regurgitation

BACKGROUND: Mitral regurgitation (MR) requiring surgical correction poses significant perioperative challenges, particularly in hemodynamically compromised patients. Evidence supporting preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) use in this setting remains scarce. This study evaluated the association between preoperative IABP use and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing surgical MR correction. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) from 2016 through 2020. Adult patients undergoing surgical mitral valve repair or replacement were identified using validated ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes. Patients who received preoperative IABP were compared with those who did not through 1:1 propensity score matching, accounting for baseline clinical characteristics and illness severity. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, perioperative complications, 30-day readmissions, and length of stay. RESULTS: Among 33,644 hospitalizations for surgical MR correction, 1,691 (5.0%) involved preoperative IABP use. Following propensity score matching, 964 pairs were analyzed. Preoperative IABP use was associated with significantly lower rates of MACCE (16.8% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.045), in-hospital mortality (4.7% vs. 6.5%, P = 0.028), ischemic stroke (1.5% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.040), and prolonged mechanical ventilation (7.9% vs. 10.2%, P = 0.014). Thirty-day readmission rates and length of stay were also lower among IABP recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative IABP use was associated with modestly improved in-hospital outcomes and lower short-term readmissions, with the most pronounced benefits among high-acuity patients. These hypothesis-generating findings support a selective, severity-guided role for preoperative IABP, warranting prospective validation.