Background: The study aim was to examine the impact of concomitant significant mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). TAVI has become an acceptable mode of treatment for high-surgical risk patients with aortic stenosis (AS) requiring valve replacement. A significant number of patients have concomitant MR which cannot be addressed by TAVI alone, and therefore may not be considered candidates for this procedure. A comparison was conducted of results obtained from patients undergoing TAVI with or without MR.

Methods: Between 2008 and 2013, a total of 164 patients (mean age 81 ± 8 years) underwent TAVI at the authors' institution. Of these patients, 87 (53%) had MR of moderate or greater degree. The groups were similar with respect to age, gender, presence of congestive heart failure, left ventricular function and co-morbid conditions. The logistic EuroSCORE was higher in the MR group (p = 0.02).

Results: Procedural (30-day) mortality was 12% (n = 19) and similar between groups. Kaplan-Meier estimates showed the overall survival at three years to be 68% and 76% for the MR and non-MR groups, respectively (p = 0.6). By Cox regression, age (p = 0.007) and peripheral vascular disease (p = 0.03) were the only predictors of late survival. Regression of MR was seen in patients with functional MR. Neither the presence of MR nor residual MR emerged as predictors of late mortality.

Conclusions: In elderly patients undergoing TAVI the presence of MR does not impact survival. TAVI should not be withheld from this group of patients because of concomitant MR.

How to cite: Silberman, S., Fink, D., Butnaru, A., Balkin, J., Almagor, Y., Tauber, R., & Merin, O. (2016). Untreated Mitral Regurgitation Does Not Affect Survival of Elderly Patients Undergoing TAVI. The Journal of heart valve disease, 25(1), 46–50.