Does the Additive Risk of Mitral Valve Repair in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Prohibit Surgical Intervention?

Abstract

Previously, severe mitral regurgitation in the setting of ischemic cardiomyopathy has been associated with poor survival. In these authors' experience, repairing the mitral valve along with coronary artery bypass grafting does not increase the surgical risk, yields improvement in symptomatic status, and compares favorably to coronary artery bypass grafting alone and cardiac transplantation. However, the lack of change in EF in these patients probably represents an overestimation of the EF before surgery secondary to severe mitral regurgitation.