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Background Several papers already reported better outcomes of tricuspid valve repair with ring annuloplasty compared to suture techniques. However, the follow-up is usually limited to 10 years. With this study, we aim to analyze the results of tricuspid valve repair according to the technique employed when the follow-up is extended to more than 15 years. Materials and methods A retrospective review of our institutional database was carried on to find all patients who underwent tricuspid valve repair between January 1998 and December 2004. Kaplan–Meier method was employed to estimate survival and log-rank test was used to make intergroup comparison. Cox regression was employed to identify risk factor for mortality. Cumulative incidence function using death as competitive outcome was used to estimate cardiac death. To describe the time course of tricuspid regurgitation, a longitudinal analysis using generalized estimating equations with random intercept for correlated data was performed. Results One hundred forty-six patients were identified: 89 in the suture group and 57 in the ring group. No difference in term of long-term survival and cardiac death was evident between the two groups. A significant higher rate of tricuspid regurgitation ≥2+ and ≥3+ recurrence was evident in the suture group during the whole follow-up (p Conclusion Our results corroborate the better results of tricuspid valve repair by means of ring implantation compared to suture techniques also when the follow-up is extended up to 18 years. Ring annuloplasty should be considered the first option for tricuspid valve repair due to a better durability.

Degenerative mitral valve disease represents the most common cause of mitral regurgitation in industrialized countries. When left untreated, patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation show a poor clinical outcome. Conversely, a timely and appropriate correction provides a restored life expectancy and a good quality of life. Therefore, in this scenario, surgical mitral valve repair represents the gold standard of treatment. This review aims to analyze the indications, timing, and contemporary surgical techniques of mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation. Moreover, the value of heart team approach and centers of excellence for mitral valve repair are also deeply discussed.

OBJECTIVES The EuroSCORE II is widely used to predict 30-day mortality in patients undergoing open and transcatheter cardiac surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the discriminatory ability of the EuroSCORE II in predicting 30-day mortality in a large cohort of patients undergoing surgical mitral valve repair in a high-volume centre. METHODS A retrospective review of our institutional database was carried on to find all patients who underwent mitral valve repair in our department from January 2012 to December 2019. Discrimination of the EuroSCORE II was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. The maximum Youden’s Index was employed to define the optimal cut-point. Calibration was assessed by generating calibration plot that visually compares the predicted mortality with the observed mortality. Calibration was also tested with the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Finally, the accuracy of the models was tested calculating the Brier score. RESULTS A total of 2645 patients were identified, and the median EuroSCORE II was 1.3% (0.6–2.0%). In patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR), the EuroSCORE II showed low discrimination (area under the curve 0.68), low accuracy (Brier score 0.27) and low calibration with overestimation of the 30-day mortality. In patients with secondary MR, the EuroSCORE II showed a good overall performance estimating the 30-day mortality with good discrimination (area under the curve 0.88), good accuracy (Brier score 0.003) and good calibration. CONCLUSIONS In patients with degenerative MR operated on in a high-volume centre with a high level of expertise in mitral valve repair, the EuroSCORE II significantly overestimates the 30-day mortality.

Over the past two decades interest in mitral valve regurgitation has increased as a result of the development of new technologies that have expanded the number of patients who can potentially benefit from mitral regurgitation treatments. To develop new devices for the treatment of mitral regurgitation, the focus has been placed on the functional anatomy and pathophysiology of the mitral valve, with the use of the most advanced methods of cardiac imaging that allow the best visualization of the mitral valve and a perfect understanding of the complexity of a specific disease. Mitral regurgitation is still underdiagnosed and undertreated in a substantial number of patients who have poor survival. Therefore, the priority should be to identify and treat these patients to increase their survival and quality of life. To achieve this goal, general physicians and cardiologists must be aware of all the treatment options that are currently available in dedicated centres of excellence. Patients referred to these centres can benefit from a tailored heart team-based approach. The aim of this Review is to analyse the basic principles of mitral regurgitation, discussing new concepts on the pathophysiology of the mitral valve that have been developed to facilitate the selection of patients for transcatheter procedures. We also describe the indications and timing of treatment, contemporary surgical and transcatheter techniques and the heart team approach, and highlight the need for centres of excellence. In this Review, Alfieri and colleagues focus on new concepts on mitral valve pathophysiology and patient risk profile assessment to guide the indication and timing of the management of mitral valve regurgitation. The authors also describe new imaging modalities and contemporary surgical and transcatheter techniques, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach.

OBJECTIVES Previous series of minimally invasive mitral valve repairs showed excellent results at up to 10 years of follow-up. The goal of this study was to assess the long-term durability beyond 10 years of the edge-to-edge repair for myxomatous degeneration performed through a minimally invasive approach. METHODS Ninety-seven consecutive patients (mean age 35 ± 9 years; left ventricular ejection fraction 63 ± 6%) with severe myxomatous mitral regurgitation (MR) underwent mitral valve repair through a right minithoracotomy between 1999 and 2006. MR was due to lesions involving the posterior leaflet (7.2% of patients), anterior leaflet (12.4%) and both leaflets (80.4%). RESULTS No hospital deaths occurred. At hospital discharge all patients had no or trivial MR. Follow-up was 100% complete (median 15.5 years; interquartile range 13.6–17.0, max 19.3 years). The 16-year overall survival rate was 95.9 ± 2.02% [95% confidence interval (CI) 89.39–98.43]. At 16 years, the cumulative incidence function of cardiac death, with non-cardiac death as a competing risk, was 3.1 ± 1.75 (95% CI 0.83–8.02). Only 3 patients (4.1%) had redo operations for recurrent severe MR. At 16 years, the cumulative incidence functions of reoperation for and recurrence of MR ≥3+, with death as a competing risk, were 3.1 ± 1.76% (95% CI 0.83–8.02) and 5.6 ± 2.47% (95% CI 2.06–11.83), respectively. No predictors of recurrence of MR ≥3+ were identified. At the last follow-up, moderate MR (2+/4+) was detected in 17 patients (17.5%); most of the patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I–II (97%) and in sinus rhythm (90%). CONCLUSIONS Minimally invasive mitral valve edge-to-edge repair through a right minithoracotomy for myxomatous degeneration appears to be an effective and durable approach even in the long-term follow-up (up to 19 years).

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to evaluate the immediate and mid-term effects of omitting coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with moderate coronary artery stenosis who have a primary indication for valvular surgery. METHODS We included 77 consecutive patients admitted to our Institution for aortic or mitral valve surgery between June 2012 and June 2017 in whom a de novo diagnosis of ≥50%, but RESULTS There were no in-hospital deaths. In only 1 patient, acute myocardial infarction occurred postoperatively, which was immediately treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The 6-year overall survival was 94.7 ± 2.59%. At 6 years, no cardiac deaths were recorded. At follow-up, 4 patients underwent elective PCI after a positive stress myocardial perfusion test. Only 1 patient underwent urgent PCI due to acute coronary syndrome. At 6 years, the cumulative incidence function of PCI, with death as competing risk, was 8 ± 3.9%. CONCLUSIONS In our experience, moderate coronary stenosis, occasionally discovered at the time of valvular heart surgery, can be safely overlooked and do not need any further treatment at follow-up in the majority of cases. Our results open up the opportunity to apply this ‘intentional omission strategy’ in different situations, such as minimally invasive heart surgery, percutaneous procedures and complex patients.

Patients with advanced heart failure have poor prognosis despite traditional pharmacological therapies. The early identification of these subjects would allow them to be addressed on time in dedicated centers to select patients eligible for heart transplantation or ventricular assistance. In this article we will report the current management of these patients based on latest international guidelines, underlining some critical aspects, with reference to future perspectives.

OBJECTIVES The appropriateness of moderate aortic regurgitation treatment during mitral valve (MV) surgery remains unclear. The goal of this study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term outcomes of patients with moderate aortic regurgitation at the time of MV surgery. METHODS We included 183 patients admitted to our institution for elective treatment of MV disease between 2004 and 2018, in whom moderate aortic regurgitation was diagnosed during preoperative evaluation. One hundred and twenty-two patients underwent isolated MV surgery (study group) whereas 61 patients underwent concomitant MV surgery and aortic valve replacement (control group). RESULTS One death (0.8%) occurred in the study group, and 3 deaths (4.8%) occurred in the control group (P = 0.52). The rate of the most common postoperative complication was similar between the 2 groups. At 12 years, the cumulative incidence function of cardiac death, with non-cardiac death as a competing risk, was 4.7 ± 2.8% in the study group; no cardiac deaths were observed in the control group (P = 0.078). At 6 and 12 years, in the study group, the cumulative incidence function of aortic valve reintervention, with death as a competing risk, was 2.5 ± 1.85% and 19 ± 7.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The appropriate management of moderate aortic regurgitation at the time of MV surgery deserves a careful evaluation by balancing the reintervention rate with the age, the operative risk and the life expectancy of the patient. Our findings suggest that a patient-tailored approach is the key to achieving the best clinical outcome for each individual patient.

Introduction Unlike secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) in the setting of left ventricular disease, results of surgical treatment of severe atrial functional MR has remained largely unspoken. The aim of this study is to analyze short to midterm results of isolated ring annuloplasty in patients with severe atrial functional MR, in comparison with a matched cohort of patients with secondary MR. Methods A retrospective review of our Institutional database was carried out to find all patients fulfilling strict echocardiographic criteria to define atrial functional MR. A control group of patients with MR secondary to ventricular disease was selected. All patients underwent mitral repair by means of isolated ring annuloplasty. Mortality, reoperation for severe MR, and recurrence of MR were assessed by clinical and echocardiographic follow-up. Cumulative incidence function (CIF) of recurrence of MR using death and reoperation as the competitive risk was used. Results Twenty patients were selected for the study group and 25 for the control group. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of mortality and reoperation rate. At 2 years, the CIF of recurrence of MR ≥ 3+ and ≥ 2+ was significantly higher in patients with secondary MR compared to patients with atrial functional MR (20.8 ± 8.29% vs 5.9 ± 5.71% and 45.8 ± 10.17% vs 5.9 ± 5.71%) CONCLUSION: In patients with severe atrial functional MR, mitral valve repair by means of isolated ring annuloplasty seems a more effective and durable treatment as compared to patients with MR secondary to ventricular disease. Larger cohorts with longer follow up are needed to confirm these results.

OBJECTIVES To assess by a continuous implantable rhythm monitoring (ILR) the mid-term outcomes of a staged-hybrid approach for patients with persistent/long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and dilated atria. METHODS Fifty patients [age 57 (standard deviation, SD: 8.3), previous catheter ablation 66%, AF history 6.5 (2–12) years, left ventricular ejection fraction 56 (SD: 7.9)%, left atrial volume index 44 (38–56) ml/m2] with persistent (44%) or long-standing persistent (56%) AF, underwent a 2-staged hybrid ablation (thoracoscopic epicardial procedure with Cobra-Fusion system and transcatheter Rhythmia mapping with endocardial touch-up of gaps). All patients received an ILR. RESULTS No hospital deaths and no stroke occurred. Follow-up was 98% complete [median 22 (11–34) months]. The 2-year arrhythmia-free survival off class I–III antiarrhythmic drugs/electrical cardioversion/redo catheter ablation and the arrhythmia control (maintenance of sinus rhythm with or without antiarrhythmic drugs/electrical cardioversion) were 65 (SD: 7.1)% and 82 (SD: 5.8)%, respectively. The occurrence of AF in the blanking period was identified as an independent predictor of AF recurrence (odds ratio 26.6, 95% confidence interval 5.3, 132.3; P CONCLUSIONS A staged hybrid approach yields promising results in selected patients with persistent/long-standing persistent AF and dilated left atrium who are at very high risk of AF recurrence. The use of ILR in this setting should become a standard to optimize patient management.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect and it is responsible for an increased risk of developing aortic valve and ascending aorta complications. In case of mild to moderate BAV disease in patients undergoing supracoronary ascending aorta replacement, it is unclear whether a concomitant aortic valve replacement should be performed. Methods: From June 2002 to January 2020, 75 patients with mild-to-moderate BAV regurgitation (±mild-to-moderate stenosis) who underwent isolated supracoronary ascending aorta replacement were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was 100% complete (mean: 7.4 ± 3.9 years, max: 16.4). Kaplan–Meier estimates were employed to analyze long-term survival. Cumulative incidence function (CIF) for time to reoperation, recurrence of aortic regurgitation (AR) ≥3+ and aortic stenosis (AS) greater than moderate, with death as competing risk, were computed. Results: There was no hospital mortality and no cardiac death occurred. Overall survival at 12 years was 97.4 ± 2.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI: 83.16–99.63). At follow-up there were no cases of aortic root surgery whereas three patients underwent AV replacement. At 12 years the CIF of reoperation was 2.6 ± 2.5%, 95% CI [0.20–11.53]. At follow-up, AR 3+/4+ was present in 1 pt and AS greater than moderate in 3. At 12 years the CIF of AR more than 2+/4+ was 5.1 ± 4.98% and of AS more than moderate 6.9 ± 3.8%. Conclusions: In our study mild to moderate regurgitation of a BAV did not do significantly worse at least up to 10 years after isolated supracoronary ascending aorta replacement.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes of different surgical strategies in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) with septal thickness ≤18 mm and systolic anterior motion (SAM)-related moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR). METHODS Seventy-six HOCM patients with septal thickness 17 [16; 18] mm, resting left ventricle outflow tract gradient 60 [41; 85] mmHg and SAM-related MR ≥2+/4+, underwent septal myectomy alone (54%) or mitral valve (MV) surgery ± myectomy (46%). RESULTS No hospital death and no ventricular septal defect occurred. Patients undergoing MV surgery ± myectomy had longer cardiopulmonary bypass and X-clamp times (77 [60–106] vs 51 [44–62] min, P CONCLUSIONS In HOCM patients with moderate septal thickness and SAM-related MR, as the degree of septal hypertrophy decreases, addressing the abnormalities of the MV apparatus may become necessary to provide a durable resolution of left ventricle outflow tract obstruction and SAM-related MR. However, performing myectomy alone, whenever possible, seems to be associated to a better postoperative course and a trend towards lower cardiac mortality at follow-up, despite a higher rate of residual moderate MR.

Background We report the long-term (19 years) clinical and echocardiographic results of the quadrangular resection with annular plication and annuloplasty. Methods Included were 145 consecutive patients (mean age, 58 ± 11.1 years; left ventricular ejection fraction, 0.59 ± 0.095) with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation due to posterior leaflet prolapse/flail who underwent quadrangular resection of the posterior leaflet combined with ring (127 patients [87.5%]) or pericardium (18 patients [12.5%]) annuloplasty. Results No hospital deaths occurred. At hospital discharge, all patients but 1 had none or trivial mitral regurgitation. Follow-up was 97% complete (median, 19 years; interquartile range, 18 to 20 years). At 20 years, the overall survival was 74% ± 3.7%. At 19 years, cumulative incidence function of cardiac death with noncardiac death as a competing risk was 9.9% ± 2.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7% to 15.5%). Age was the only significant predictor of cardiac death (hazard ratio, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.1; p = 0.01) at multivariate analysis. Only 6 patients (4%) were reoperated on for recurrent severe mitral regurgitation. At 19 years, cumulative incidence function of reoperation and recurrence of mitral regurgitation 3+ or higher with death as a competing risk was 4.3% ± 1.7% (95% CI, 1.7% to 8.8%) and 8.8% ± 2.8% (95% CI, 4.3% to 15.5%), respectively. Indeed, only 11 patients (8%) had recurrent mitral insufficiency 3+ or higher. No predictor of reoperation and recurrence of mitral regurgitation 3+ or higher was identified. At the last follow-up, moderate mitral regurgitation (2+/4+) was detected in 14 patients (10%). Conclusions Quadrangular resection with annular plication for posterior leaflet prolapse, combined with annuloplasty, is associated with a very low probability of reoperation and recurrent mitral regurgitation for up to 2 decades after the operation. These results provide reference values to which all of the other more recently introduced surgical and transcatheter options need to be compared.

Objectives To evaluate whether the adoption of a right minithoracotomy operative approach had an impact on the long-term results of edge-to-edge (EE) repair compared to conventional sternotomy in patients with Barlow's disease and bileaflet prolapse. Methods We assessed the long-term results of 104 patients with Barlow's disease treated with a minimally invasive EE technique. An equal number of patients had a conventional median sternotomy EE repair for the same disease and were used as a control group. The inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to create comparable distributions of the covariates that were significantly different at baseline in the two groups. We performed a comparative analysis of the groups. Results No hospital deaths were observed. Follow-up was 99.5% complete (median 11.3 years). The cumulative incidence function (CIF) of cardiac death at 12 years, with noncardiac death as a competing risk, showed no difference between the two groups ( P = 0.87). At 12 years, the CIF of recurrent MR ≥ 3+, with death as the competing risk, was 7% in the sternotomy group and 5% in the minimally invasive group ( P = 0.30), and the CIF of recurrence of MR ≥ 2+ was 15 and 14%, respectively ( P = 0.63). The type of surgical approach was not a predictor of cardiac death, reoperation, recurrent MR ≥ 3+ or recurrent MR ≥ 2+. Conclusions A minimally invasive approach does not have a negative impact on the effectiveness and long-term durability of the EE repair for bileaflet prolapse in Barlow's disease. Long-term outcomes are excellent, and valvular performance remains stable over time with no evidence of mitral stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to compare the theoretical incidence of patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) in patients undergoing a sutureless or a sutured aortic valve replacement using an exact statistical matching. METHODS: Between May 2012 and March 2016, 65 patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis underwent a sutureless aortic valve replacement with the Perceval bioprosthesis in 2 centres. Moreover, 177 aortic valve replacements with conventional sutured bioprosthesis were performed between August 2003 and September 2015. Perceval and sutured patients were 1:1 exactly matched for sex and body surface area (BSA), resulting in 62 couples (sutureless: BSA 1.77 ± 0.16 m2, female 62.9% vs sutured: BSA 1.77 ± 0.15 m2, female 62.9%). RESULTS: After matching, the indexed effective orifice area was 1.50 ± 0.18 cm2/m2 and 0.81 ± 0.19 cm2/m2 in the sutureless and the sutured group, respectively (P < 0.001). No PPM occurred in patients who received a Perceval bioprosthesis (n = 62). In the sutured group (n = 62), 38 patients (61.3%) developed a PPM, which was moderate in 41.9% (n = 26) and severe in 19.4% (n = 12) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The indexed effective orifice area of the sutureless group was significantly larger than in the sutured one. The incidence of PPM with the conventional sutured biprosthesis was 61.3%, while it decreases to 0% in the sutureless group. No PPM was reported in the sutureless valve group. Therefore, the Perceval sutureless valve provides larger effective orifice areas compared to the sutured conventional bioprosthesis and could be considered as a good option to reduce the risk of a PPM.

OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and it is often poorly tolerated because of loss of atrial contraction and reduced filling time with rapid ventricular rates. Restoring sinus rhythm is of great clinical benefit to HCM patients. Very few data exist regarding surgical ablation of concomitant AF in this setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term outcome of surgical AF ablation in patients who underwent cardiac surgery due to HCM. METHODS: Thirty-one consecutive patients with primary HCM and drug-refractory symptomatic AF underwent surgical ablation with concomitant septal myectomy (77%) and/or mitral valve repair/replacement (39%). Follow-up was 97% complete with a median of 6.4 years [3.8-9.1]. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 6% and the overall survival at 7 years was 87 ± 6.1%. No stroke and thromboembolic events were documented at follow-up. The arrhythmia-free survival off antiarrhythmic drugs was 82 ± 7.3% at 1 year and 52 ± 10.2% at 6 years. The 1- and 6- year arrhythmia control (maintenance of sinus rhythm with or without antiarrhythmic drugs) was 96 ± 3.5 and 80 ± 8.1%, respectively. The recurrent arrhythmia was AF in all patients. No predictors of AF recurrence were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant surgical ablation of AF is a reasonable treatment option for drug refractory AF in patients with HCM undergoing surgical myectomy and/or mitral valve surgery. However, chronic antiarrhythmic drugs are needed to achieve a satisfactory mid-term arrhythmia control.

OBJECTIVES Patients with recurrent mitral regurgitation after surgical repair are currently treated with a re-repair procedure or valve replacement. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of our series of patients who underwent re-repair versus replacement in this setting. METHODS From 2003 to 2017, a total of 79 patients with recurrent mitral regurgitation underwent re-repair, group A (39), or replacement, group B (40). Mean follow-up was 7.4 ± 3.27 years (max 14.4). Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting was used to create comparable distributions of the covariates; the Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival and competing risk analysis for time to cardiac death, time to recurrence of MR ≥3+ and MR ≥2+. RESULTS A re-repair was possible in 49.4% of patients (39/79). At hospital discharge, residual MR ≥2+ was present in 5 patients in group A, and none in group B (P CONCLUSIONS Recurrent significant mitral regurgitation after re-repair is not rare already at 8 years, but the survival tends to be worse after replacement. This finding calls for a very selective approach in pursuing a re-repair only when the intraoperative findings and the immediate results are very reassuring as far as long-term durability is concerned.

Background: To assess the long-term clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of the edge-to-edge mitral repair added to septal myectomy in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Methods: This is a single-center study of 26 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (septal thickness 17 ± 3 mm, resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient 63 ± 20 mm Hg, MR ≥ 2+/4+) who underwent an EE mitral procedure combined with ventricular septal myectomy. The EE procedure was used to treat MR due to systolic anterior motion in 19 patients (73%) and to posterior leaflet prolapse/flail in 7 (27%). Results: Hospital mortality was 4%. Follow-up was 100% complete (median 6.5 years; interquartile range, 2.7 to 9). Freedom from cardiac death was 88% ± 8.4% at 8 years. The 8-year cumulative incidence function of reoperation with death as competing risk was 7.7% ± 5.2%. At 8 years, the cumulative incidence function of recurrence of MR 3+ or greater with death as competing risk was 7.9% ± 5.3%. Residual MR at discharge (hazard ratio 8.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 32.6; P = .002) and preoperative systolic pulmonary artery pressure (hazard ratio 1.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 1.1; P = .005) were identified as predictors of MR recurrence. At the last follow-up, 92% of patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I-II, and 72% were in sinus rhythm. The last echocardiographic follow-up showed a median resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient of 9 mm Hg (interquartile range, 7 to 12; P < .001 vs preoperative). Conclusions: In hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients, when septal thickness was considered inadequate to allow a safe and effective myectomy, the edge-to-edge technique provided a simple, quick, and effective solution by abolishing at the same time residual gradient and systolic anterior motion-related MR. Organic mitral valve lesions such as prolapse and flail could be addressed as well, whenever indicated. Satisfactory clinical and echocardiographic results were maintained at long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVES After mitral repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR), no or mild (≤1+/4+) residual MR should remain. Occasionally patients are left with more than mild residual MR (>1+/4+) for a number of reasons. The aim of this study was to assess the late implications of such a suboptimal repair in a matched cohort study. METHODS From 2006 to 2013, a total of 2158 patients underwent mitral repair for degenerative MR in our institution. Fifty patients (2.3%) with residual MR >1+ at hospital discharge (study group) were matched up to 1:2 with 91 patients operated on during the same period who were discharged with MR ≤1+ (control group). The median follow-up was 8 years (interquartile range 6.3–10.1, longest 12.7 years). A comparative analysis of the outcomes in the 2 groups was performed. RESULTS Overall survival at 8 years was 87 ± 8% in the study group and 92 ± 3% in the control group (P = 0.23). There were 3 late deaths (6.0%) in the study group and 6 deaths (6.6%) in the control group. Freedom from reoperation was similar (P = 1.0). At 8 years the prevalence of MR ≥3+ was significantly higher in the study group (15.6% vs 2.1%, P CONCLUSIONS Residual MR more than mild at hospital discharge is associated with lower durability of mitral repair and the need for more medical therapy in the long term. However, even an initial optimal result does not completely arrest the progression of the degenerative process.

Background The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the type of ring used had an impact on the long-term results of mitral repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR), due to posterior leaflet prolapse, treated with quadrangular or triangular resection. Methods From January 2002 to December 2008, 1406 patients with severe MR due to posterior leaflet prolapse underwent mitral repair. Of these patients, we selected 452 consecutive patients treated with the same repair approach. Mitral annuloplasty to complete the repair was performed with a posterior flexible band (n = 260) or a complete semi-rigid ring (n = 192). The 2 groups were comparable at baseline, and their clinical and echocardiographic outcomes were compared at long-term follow-up. Results Overall survival at 14 years was similar (P = .29). The cumulative incidence function of cardiac death, with noncardiac death as competing risk, showed no difference (P = .71). At 14 years, probability of recurrence of MR greater than or equal to 3+ was 1.11% in the flexible band group and 3.25% in the semi-rigid ring group (P = .073). At 14 years, probability of recurrence of MR greater than or equal to 2 was 13.49% in the band group vs 10.78% in the semi-rigid ring group (P = .897). Conclusions In patients requiring mitral valve repair for posterior leaflet prolapse, treated with the same repair approach, the type of annuloplasty ring has no impact on the incidence of cardiac death and recurrence of MR at 14 years. Whether these findings remain stable at longer follow-up should be further investigated.

The study sought to assess the long-term outcomes of the stand-alone Cox-Maze IV procedure in symptomatic patients with refractory, persistent, or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).Fifty-nine consecutive patients (mean age 52 ± 10.5 years, previous catheter ablation 80%, left ventricular ejection fraction 55% ± 3.4%, median left atrial volume index 41 [interquartile range, 34-47] mL/mNo hospital deaths occurred and 1 (1.7%) patient required postoperative pacemaker implantation. Follow-up was 97% complete (median 5.8 [interquartile range, 3.92-7.11] years). The overall survival at 7 years was 97% ± 2.3%. The 7-year cumulative incidence function of AF recurrence and of AF recurrence off class I or III antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs), with death as competing risk, was 14.2% ± 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.5%-26.8%) and 26.5% ± 6.9% (95% CI, 14.2%-40.4%), respectively. Multivariate analysis identified the duration of AF as the only predictor of AF recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.01-1.02; P.001). At 7 years, the proportion of patients in sinus rhythm was 84%, of whom 74% were off class I or III AADs. At the last follow-up, 75% of patients were in European Heart Rhythm Association functional class I, no stroke and thromboembolic events were documented, and 70% of patients were off anticoagulation therapy. Left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 53% ± 3.4% at baseline to 59% ± 3.4% at follow-up (P = .003).This study confirmed the safety and efficacy in the long term (7 years) of the stand-alone Cox-Maze IV surgical procedure for persistent or long-standing persistent AF. Indeed, more than 70% of the patients were in sinus rhythm off class I or III AADs and off oral anticoagulation.

Tricuspid valve disease affects millions of patients worldwide. It has always been considered less relevant than the left-side valves of the heart, but this “forgotten valve” still represents a great challenge for the cardiac surgeons, especially in the most difficult symptomatic scenarios. In this review we analyze the wide spectrum of surgical techniques for the treatment of a diseased tricuspid valve.

Tricuspid valve disease remains an intricate and debated field in terms of pathophysiology, surgical indications and treatment options. In this chapter, surgical techniques, both for repair and replacement of the tricuspid valve will be described in details. Functional (secondary) and organic (primary) tricuspid regurgitation will be addressed and a challenging scenario, like late tricuspid regurgitation following previous mitral valve surgery, will be emphasized.

In industrialized countries, the most common etiology of mitral regurgitation (MR) is degenerative mitral valve (MV) disease. The natural history of severe degenerative MR is poor. However, its appropriate and timely correction is associated with a life expectancy similar to that of the normal population. Surgical MV repair is the gold standard treatment. This review will focus on the most recent evidence with a specific emphasis on surgical indications, timing of treatment, contemporary surgical techniques, Heart Teams and Centers of Excellence.

OBJECTIVES: To report the long-term results of the clover technique for the treatment of complex forms of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). METHODS: Ninety-six consecutive patients (mean age 60 ± 16.4, left ventricular ejection fraction 58 ± 8.8%) with severe or moderatelysevere TR due to important leaflets prolapse/flail (81 patients), tethering (13 patients) or mixed (2 patients) lesions underwent clover repair combined with annuloplasty. The aetiology of TR was degenerative in 74 cases (77.1%), post-traumatic in 9 (9.4%) and secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy in 13 (13.5%). All patients but 3 (96.8%) underwent ring (59 patients, 61.5%) or suture (34 patients, 35.4%) annuloplasty. Concomitant procedures (mainly mitral surgery) were performed in 82 patients (85.4%). RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 7.2%. At hospital discharge 92 (95.8%) patients had no or mild TR. Follow-up was 98% complete (median 9 years, interquartile range 5.1; 10.9). At 12 years the overall survival was 71.6 ± 7.22% and the cumulative incidence function of cardiac death with non-cardiac death as competing risk 16 ± 4.1% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 9.5-25.7]. At 12 years the cumulative incidence function of TR ≥3+ and TR ≥2+ with death as competing risk were 1.2 ± 1.2% (95% CI 0.1-5.8) and 28 ± 7.7% (95% CI 14.3-43.5), respectively. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (hazard ratio 0.9, CI 0.9-1, P = 0.05) and previous cardiac surgery (hazard ratio 2.7, 95% CI 1-7.1, P = 0.03) were predictors of recurrent TR ≤2+ at univariable but not at multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Complex forms of TR due to severe prolapse or tethering of the leaflets can be effectively treated with the clover technique with very satisfactory long-term results and extremely low recurrence of severe TR.

Primary cardiac paragangliomas are extremely rare. Recently this neoplasm has been associated with a familiar syndrome as a result of mutation of genes that encode proteins in the mitochondrial complex II. We report a case of a 46-year-old woman having cases of vertebral paraganglioma in her family showing an unusual anatomic and clinical presentation of cardiac paraganglioma and expressing a genetic mutation never associated before with cardiac localization of this neoplasm.