Left ventricular remodeling after mitral valve repair and papillary muscle approximation

BACKGROUND Mitral valve repair with papillary muscle approximation (MVr-PMA) for severe secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) decreases MR recurrence compared with MVr alone. This study assessed the effects of MVr-PMA on left ventricular (LV) remodeling and shape, systolic function and strain mechanics. METHODS Forty-eight patients who underwent MVr-PMA for severe secondary MR and had follow-up echocardiograms available for review were identified. Student's t-test, linear regression modeling, and receiver-operating characteristic curves were used in the statistical analyses. RESULTS Median follow-up time was 14.9 months. MVr-PMA was associated with significant LV reverse remodeling with a smaller LV end-diastolic diameter, systolic sphericity index, and interpapillary muscle distance at follow-up. Nine patients (18.8%) experienced ≥ moderate recurrent MR. When compared recurrent MR patients at follow-up, those with durable MVr-PMA had a greater LV ejection fraction (32.8 vs 22.0%, p=0.03), a smaller end-diastolic diameter (59.6 vs 67.3 mm, p=0.03), systolic sphericity index (0.35 vs 0.47, p=0.03), and endsystolic interpapillary muscle distance (16.3 vs 21.1 mm, p=0.03). A durable MVr-PMA also resulted in stable global longitudinal strain when compared with pre-operative values, while the recurrent MR group experienced a further decline (no recurrent MR: -8.4 vs -7.5%; recurrent MR: -8.2 vs -5.4%; p