Surgical mitral valve intervention following a failed MitraClip procedure

The MitraClip procedure has shown promising results in patients with high surgical risk. However, data concerning outcomes of open mitral valve surgery for failed MitraClip procedures are sparse. In a retrospective clinical investigation, baseline characteristics, intraoperative and histopathological findings, surgical indications and results of patients who required surgery after a failed MitraClip procedure were collected. Between March 2010 and May 2016, 25 patients presented at our department with severe mitral valve regurgitation following a failed MitraClip procedure. Leaflet destruction or severe adhesions between leaflets and the implanted clip were the commonest intraoperative findings. Upon surgery, the mitral valve was either repaired (n=5, 20%) or replaced (n=20, 80%) with a biological prosthesis. Four patients who had presented in cardiogenic shock prior to the operation died within the first 30 days. In the majority of cases, mitral valve replacement is preferred over repair due to severe leaflet damage following the MitraClip procedure. Only those patients who present in cardiogenic shock are at extremely high risk for in-hospital mortality.