Effectiveness of surgical ventricular restoration in patients with dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy and unrepaired mild mitral regurgitation.
OBJECTIVE
Any grade of ischemic mitral regurgitation is associated with excess mortality. Whether mild ischemic mitral regurgitation should be repaired at the time of either coronary artery bypass grafting or surgical ventricular restoration is controversial. Surgical ventricular restoration is a treatment option for dilated post-infarction cardiomyopathy and has the potential to improve mitral functioning. The present study assessed the effectiveness of surgical ventricular restoration and unrepaired mild ischemic mitral regurgitation on left ventricular geometry, cardiac and functional status, and survival.


METHODS
We analyzed 55 patients with previous anterior infarction (age 65 +/- 10 years) and mild chronic functional mitral regurgitation who underwent surgical ventricular restoration and coronary artery bypass grafting without mitral repair at our center. Left ventricular volumes, ejection fraction, and geometric parameters were measured before and after surgery.


RESULTS
Even mild ischemic mitral regurgitation is characterized by abnormal left ventricular geometry when compared with that of patients without mitral regurgitation at comparable ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. Surgical ventricular restoration induces a significant decrease in left ventricular volumes, left ventricular diameters, and papillary muscle distance; and an improvement in ejection fraction and New York Heart Association class. Ischemic mitral regurgitation significantly decreases in the majority of patients. Survival is 93% at 1 year and 88% at 3 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical ventricular restoration improves mitral functioning by improving geometry abnormalities. Survival is optimal and greater than would be expected in patients with post-infarction dilated ventricles and depressed left ventricular function. Our data indicate that mitral repair in conjunction with surgical ventricular restoration is unnecessary in such patients.
Di Donato
Marisa
M
Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Castelvecchio
Serenella
S
Brankovic
Jelena
J
Santambrogio
Carlo
C
Montericcio
Vincenzo
V
Menicanti
Lorenzo
L
D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome