Comparison of Outcomes of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (MitraClip) in Patients <80 Years Versus ≥80 Years

The influence of age on outcomes of patients selected for transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) remains largely unknown in the United States. This study sought to assess the outcomes of TMVR in highly aged patients (≥80 years). We queried the National Readmission Database from January 2014 to December 2016 for elective TMVR hospitalizations. Propensity-score matching was used to compare in-hospital and 30-day outcomes between highly aged patients and those less than 80 years. Of 6,025 (weighted national estimate) hospitalizations for TMVR, total of 3,368 included highly aged patients (mean age 85.3) and 2,657 included patients less than 80 years (mean age 69). In the Propensity-score matched cohort (age≥ 80, n = 2,185; age <80, n = 2,197), highly aged patients had similar rates of in-hospital mortality (2.2% vs 1.6%; p = 0.22), ischemic stroke (0.5% vs 0.5%; p = 0.83), cardiac tamponade (0.2% vs 0.4%; p = 0.58), cardiogenic shock (1.2% vs 1.7%; p = 0.25), and acute myocardial infarction (0.6% vs 0.4%; p = 0.30), but higher rates of discharge to skilled nursing facility(9.7% vs 4.5%; p <0.001), all-cause 30-day readmissions (14.2% vs 10.5%; p <0.001), and heart failure-related 30-day readmissions (4.7% vs 3.0%; p = 0.006), compared with those less than 80 years. TMVR therapy is safe and is associated with low rates of in-hospital adverse events but higher rate of 30-day readmissions in highly aged patients compared with patients less than 80 years. Evidence-based interventions proven to be effective in reducing the burden of heart failure readmissions should be utilized in these patients to further improve outcomes.