Stress Echocardiography Protocol for Deciding Type of Surgery in Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation: Predictors of Mitral Regurgitation Recurrence following CABG Alone

Purpose: Although coronary artery bypass grafting alone (CABGa), or, with mitral annuloplasty (CABGmp), is considered the best therapeutic strategy for patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR), some recurrences are still reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the mitral deformation indices (MDI) as a predictor of recurrence of mitral regurgitation in a 12-month follow-up after CABG alone. Methods: A total of 145 patients after myocardial infarction with significant IMR, eligible for CABG, were prospectively enrolled in the study. Mitral valve morphology, left ventricle function, IMR degree as assessed by effective regurgitation orifice area (ERO), myocardial viability, and MDI were assessed prior to surgery. Patients were referred for CABGa (gr.1; n = 90) or CABGmp (gr.2; n = 55) based on clinical assessment, and the results of rest and stress echocardiography (exercise echocardiography and low dose dobutamine echocardiography-DBX). One year after surgery, each patient underwent the evaluation of cardiovascular events. Univariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors of recurrence of IMR in 1 year follow-up. Serial echo examinations were performed in all patients at discharge, and at 1 and 12 months after surgery. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that in CABGa, group preoperative changes of tenting area (TA) and coaptation high (CH) during DBX remained the predictors of the recurrence of IMR in 12 months follow-up. TAdbx > 1 cm(2) provided a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 29%, (AUC 0.6436). The best cut-off value for CHdbx was 0.4 cm (sensitivity 90%, specificity 34%; AUC 0.6432). In both groups (CABGa vs. CABGmp) no significant differences were observed in 12-month mortality (1.2% vs. 0%; p = 1.0), hospitalizations due to the heart failure (HF) exacerbation (5.9% vs. 8.5%; p = 0.72), and in the incidence of the composite endpoint (deaths/CV hosp/stroke) (7% vs. 8.5%; p = 0.742). Conclusions: The preoperative assessment of MDI changes during dbx can be used to identify patients with IMR qualified to CABG alone at increased risk of recurrence of IMR in 1 year follow-up. Mitral deformation analysis should be used for a better qualification of patients with IMR to the exact surgical approach.