Usefulness of Preoperative Cardiac Dimensions to Predict Success of Reverse Cardiac Remodeling in Patients Undergoing Repair for Mitral Valve Prolapse

Mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation (MR) is currently recommended based on the degree of MR and left ventricular (LV) function. The present study examines predictors of reverse remodeling after repair for degenerative disease. We retrospectively identified 439 patients who underwent repair for myxomatous mitral valve degeneration and had both pre- and postoperative echocardiographic data available. Patients were categorized based on left atrial (LA) diameter and LV diameter standards of the American Society of Echocardiography. The outcome of interest was the degree of reverse remodeling on all heart dimensions at follow-up. Mean age was 57 +/- 12 years, and 37% of patients were women. Mean preoperative LV end-diastolic diameter was 5.8 +/- 0.7 cm, LV end-systolic diameter 3.5 +/- 0.6 cm, LA 4.7 +/- 0.7 cm, and median ejection fraction 60%. Median observation time was 81 months,. and time to postoperative echocardiography was 38 months. Overall, 95% of patients had normal LV diastolic dimensions postoperatively, 93% normal LV systolic dimensions, and 37% normal LA dimensions. A Cox regression analysis showed that moderate (odds ratio [OR] 2.1,95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3 to 3.4) or severe preoperative LA dilatation (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.7 to 4.4), abnormal preoperative LV end-systolic dimensions (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.5), and age in years (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03) were predictive of less reverse remodeling on follow-up. In conclusion, preoperative LV end-systolic dimensions and LA dilatation substantially affect the likeli- hood of successful LA remodeling and normalization of all heart dimensions after mitral valve repair for MR. These findings support early operation for MR before the increase in heart dimensions is nonreversible. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.