Valve Repair Is Superior to Replacement in Most Patients With Coexisting Degenerative Mitral Valve and Coronary Artery Diseases

Background For mitral regurgitation (MR) from degenerative mitral disease in patients with coexisting coronary artery disease, the appropriate surgical strategy remains controversial. Methods From 1985 to 2011, 1,071 adults (age 70 ± 9.3 years, 77% men) underwent combined coronary artery bypass grafting and either mitral valve repair (n = 872, 81%) or replacement (n=199, 19%) for degenerative MR. Propensity matching (177 patient pairs, 89% of possible matches) was used to compare early outcomes and time-related recurrence of MR after mitral valve repair, mitral valve reoperation, and mortality. Risk factors for death were identified with multivariable, multiphase hazard-function analysis. Results Patients undergoing valve replacement were older, with more valve calcification and a higher prevalence of preoperative atrial fibrillation and heart failure (all p <.0001). Among matched pairs, mitral replacement versus repair was associated with higher hospital mortality (5.0% vs 1.0%, p =.0001) and more postoperative renal failure (7.0% vs 3.2%, p =.01), reexplorations for bleeding (6.0% vs 3.1%, p =.05), and respiratory failure (14% vs 4.7%, p <.0001). Of matched patients undergoing repair, 18% had MR above 3+ by 5 years. Mitral valve durability was similar between matched groups, but survival at 15 years was 18% after replacement versus 52% after repair. Nomograms from the multivariable equation revealed that in 94% of cases, 10-year survival was calculated to be higher after repair than after replacement. Conclusions In patients with coexisting degenerative mitral valve and coronary artery diseases, mitral valve repair is expected to confer a long-term survival advantage over replacement despite some recurrence of MR. When feasible, it is the procedure of choice for these patients.