Objective: Functional mitral valve regurgitation is a frequent consequence of left ventricular
dysfunction in heart failure patients and associated with poor prognosis. It is hypothesized
that in this patient group the mitral valve repair, respective replacement, improves
hemodynamics and clinical symptoms. As operative interventions with the help of heart-lung-machine
are high risk procedures, in these cases, the transcatheter mitral repair with MitraClip
(Abbott Vascular, IL, USA) has become frequently used. Most of these cases experience
a progress in left ventricular dysfunction, which finally leads to in an implantation
of a left ventricular assist device. In this report, we describe a series of six cases
in which patients with end stage heart failure and consecutive functional mitral valve
regurgitation were supported with a left ventricular assist device after MitraClip
implantation. We aimed to investigate, whether the MitraClip implantation leads to
an improvement of the hemodynamic prior LVAD-implantation.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 6 patients with severe heart failure, who
underwent LVAD implantation after the MitraClip procedure. The parameters examined
were CI, LVEF, LVEDD and the PCWP.
Results: This case series includes 6 patients (5 male, 1 female). The mean age at MitraClip
procedure was 64.6 years. The mean age at time of LVAD implantation was 65.5 years.
All patients had functional mitral regurgitation (MR). Severity of MR was reduced
successfully in all treated patients. All patients were discharged with MR I-II and
NYHA functional class III or IV after MitraClip-procedure. The mean CI was 2.93 before
MitraClip-procedure and 2.36 before LVAD-Implantation. Mean LVEDD was 71 mm before
MitraClip, mean LVEDD was 70.6 mm before LVAD, and 63.2mm after LVAD implantation
respectively. The mean PCWP was 21.5 mm Hg before MitraClip and 19.8 mm Hg before
LVAD implantation respectively. The mean LVEF was 19.2% before MitraClip, the mean
LVEF was 17.6% before LVAD and 15% after LVAD implantation. Two of the LVAD implanted
patients died due to postoperative complications. There were no complications after
MitraClip procedure.
Conclusion: Our presented patient cohort presented little hemodynamic improvement after the MitraClip
procedure. There was no clinical benefit for the patients after MitraClip procedure,
progressing left ventricular dysfunction could not be prevented and resulted in subsequent
LVAD implantation.