Objective To explore the effect of aortic valve neo-cuspidization (AVNeo) for patients with severe aortic valve lesions simultaneously. Methods Patients who underwent AVNeo combined valve repair surgery for multiple valve diseases were included in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from May 2016 to September 2023. Results We included 11 patients with 7 males and 4 females at a median age of 38 (36, 49) years. Rheumatic heart disease was found in 5 (45.5%) patients and non-rheumatic heart disease in 6 (54.5%) patients. The median EuroSCORE Ⅱ score was 1.62 (1.18, 1.75) points. Eight patients underwent AVNeo plus mitral and tricuspid valve repair, and 3 patients underwent AVNeo plus mitral valve repair. The median operative time was 356 (315, 415) min, and the median cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic clamping time were 203 (174, 231) min and 168 (131, 188) min, respectively. In the early stage, 2 patients underwent combined valve repair surgery, and 1 patient underwent in-hospital reoperation for aortic valve replacement because of severe aortic regurgitation. There were 9 patients in the mature stage of AVNeo, and no perioperative adverse events or moderate or above residual valvular disease occurred. All patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital. The follow-up period was 3-99 months, and no reoperation, severe valve disease, bleeding, cerebral infarction, or other adverse events occurred in all patients. Conclusion For non-elderly patients whose mitral and tricuspid valves can be repaired successfully with severe aortic valve lesions, AVNeo can be attempted after proficiency. But the operation time and cardiopulmonary bypass time will inevitably be prolonged, and the patient's basic situation should be carefully evaluated before surgery.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of different surgical strategies for moderate functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) at the time of aortic valve replacement (AVR) on patients' prognosis.MethodsA total of 118 AVR patients, including 84 males and 34 females, aged 58.1±12.4 years, who were complicated with moderate FMR were retrospectively recruited. Patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment strategy of mitral valve: a group A (no intervention, n=11), a group B (mitral valve repair, n=51) and a group C (mitral valve replacement, n=56). The primary endpoint was the early and mid-term survival of the patients, and the secondary endpoint was the improvement of FMR.ResultsThe median follow-up time was 29.5 months. Five patients died perioperatively, all of whom were from the group C. Early postoperative FMR improvement rates in the group A and group B were 90.9% and 94.1% (P=0.694). The mid-term mortality in the three groups were 0.0%, 5.9% and 3.9%, respectively (P=0.264), while the incidences of major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were 0.0%, 9.8% and 17.7%, respectively (P=0.230). Improvements of FMR in the group A and group B were 100.0% and 94.3% at the mid-term follow-up (P>0.05).ConclusionFor patients receiving AVR with moderate FMR, conservative treatment or concurrent repair of mitral valve may be more reasonable, while mitral valve replacement may increase the incidence of early and mid-term adverse events.
With the expanding indications for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) guidelines, combined valvular disease is often encountered in the clinic, and existing relevant studies have shown that preoperative moderate to severe mitral regurgitation is associated with higher mortality. In these patients, the optimal treatment strategy for TAVR with evidence-based heart failure, TAVR with transcatheter mitral intervention, or staging transcatheter therapy are unclear. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of the anatomy and function of the aortic and mitral valves, as well as an in-depth assessment of the patient’s baseline risk profile, are the basis for an individualized approach to treatment. This article will review the results of the relevant research to better help clinicians diagnose and treat relevant patients.
The first aortic valve repair was performed in 1958, but the clinical outcome was limited. Since the invention of prosthetic valves, aortic valve replacement has become and still maintained the dominated surgical treatment option. As the impact of the prosthetic valve-related event to quality of life of the patients and the studies of the mechanism of aortic regurgitation and the functional anatomy of aortic root grow, the application of aortic valve repair gets more popular, and the short- and mid-term outcomes are good.
ObjectiveTo analyze the Ebstein anomaly's reoperative strategy and mid- to long-term results.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 23 patients who diagnosed with Ebstein anomaly and underwent reoperation for tricuspid valve insufficiency between July 2002 and July 2017 in Fuwai Hospital. There were 9 (39.1%) males and 14 (60.9%) females, with a median age of 28.0 (19.0, 45.0) years.ResultsAmong the 23 patients, 8 (34.8%) underwent tricuspid valvuloplasty and 15 (65.2%) underwent tricuspid valve replacement. The rate of valvuloplasty was 16.7% before 2012, and 54.5% after 2012 (P=0.089) as Cone reconstruction procedure was used. In the valvuloplasty cohort, 3 (37.5%) patients were treated with Danielson or Carpentier technique, and 5 (62.5%) patients were treated with Cone reconstruction procedure. There was no operation-related death. Early complications occurred in 3 (37.5%) patients. The median follow-up was 6.9 years (range, 3.0-15.1 years), and no adverse cardiac events occurred. In the patients with valve replacement, 7 (46.7%) received mechanical prosthesis and 8 (53.3%) received bio-prosthesis. There was no operation-related death. And early complications were observed in 3 (20.0%) patients. The median follow-up was 6.5 years (range, 2.5-15.3 years). One (6.3%) patient died and 4 (26.7%) had long-term complications during the follow-up period.ConclusionThe mid- to long-term outcomes are convincing in patients who undergo the second operation due to recurrent tricuspid regurgitation of Ebstein anomaly. A low incidence of reoperation is observed. Cone reconstruction procedure provides possibilities of second tricuspid valvuloplasty, and this technique can reduce the rate of tricuspid valve replacement in the second operation. Tricuspid valve replacement is still an alternative method for the treatment of recurrent tricuspid regurgitation in patients with Ebstein anomaly. The bioprosthetic prosthesis may be a better choice than mechanical prosthesis.
Over the past 20 years, transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair (TEER) has become an important treatment option for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) who are at high surgical risk. Initially, several landmark clinical studies established the basis of TEER for primary and secondary MR, but they only involved clinically stable patients with appropriate mitral valve anatomy. With the increasing experience of interventional therapy, the iteration of equipment and the improvement of intraoperative imaging technology, the scope of use of TEER has been continuously expanded, and its indications have been continuously expanded to more complex mitral valve lesions and clinical situations. Therefore, in clinical practice, selecting the appropriate device according to the individual anatomical characteristics of the patient can minimize MR and complications, thereby optimizing immediate and long-term prognosis. This article mainly introduces the pathogenesis and related mechanisms of MR, the main TEER devices and their clinical evidence, the limitations of TEER, and the future development direction.
ObjectiveTo conclude the outcomes of mitral valve repair for mitral bileaflet prolapse. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 14 patients with mitral bileaflet prolapse in our hospital between June 2010 and March 2013. There were 10 males and 4 females with at age of 46.9±12.0 years. We used one technique in 4 patients, two techniques in 9 patients, three techniques in 1 patient. ResultsMean follow-up time was 13.1±7.2 months. There was no perioperative death. No reoperation occurred. No or trace mitral regurgitation (MR) was found in 13 patients. Slight MR was found in one patient. ConclusionThe early metaphase results of mitral valve repair for mitral bileaflet prolapse are satisfactory if the appropriate surgery method is chosen.
Atrial functional mitral regurgitation has been referred to patients with atrial fibrillation related functional mitral regurgitation without left ventricular dysfunction and it has nowadays received remarked attention in structural heart disease field. Significant dilation of mitral annulus and left atrium, insufficient leaflet remodeling, iatrogenic leaflet tethering, reduced annular contractility and increased valve stress by flattened saddle shape of the annulus might be important triggers of atrial functional mitral regurgitation. Recently, several studies indicated that transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair could be an effective strategy for atrial functional mitral regurgitation. In this review, the definition, mechanism together with efficacy and safety of transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in atrial functional mitral regurgitation are discussed.
Atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) is characterized by left atrial enlargement, without left ventricular dilation or systolic dysfunction, and with structurally normal leaflet tissue. It predominantly occurs in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The complex pathophysiological mechanisms involve mitral annular dilation, atriogenic leaflet tethering, and inadequate leaflet adaptation. Currently, standardized management protocols for AFMR remain lacking. Common approaches include pharmacotherapy, rhythm control, and surgical or percutaneous interventions, all requiring individualized therapeutic strategy based on etiology and clinical characteristics. This review discusses recent advances in the pathogenesis and treatment of AFMR, aiming to provide valuable insights for clinical practice and future research.
Patients with bicuspid aortic valve are often complicated with aortic dilatation. If the aortic valve is of good quality, aortic root replacement with aortic valve preservation is feasible. A 35-year-old male patient with bicuspid aortic regurgitation complicated with ascending aortic aneurysm underwent Remodeling+Ring (modified Yacoub) operation. Echocardiography showed that there was no aortic regurgitation on the 3rd day after operation, and the patient was discharged satisfactorily on the 6th day after operation. Remodeling+Ring surgery ensures the physiological movement of the aortic valve, solves the enlarged annulus, avoids the problems caused by valve replacement, and significantly improves the quality of life of patients, which is worth popularizing.