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Published on: January 8, 2020
Commentary: The challenges of propensity score matching in cardiac surgery
Raymond J Strobel1, Andrew M Young1, Irving L Kron1
1Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Insights
Surgical mitral valve replacement outcomes were reviewed. While results appeared excellent, the study
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Interventional Cardiology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Transcatheter valve interventions are increasing scrutiny on surgical valve replacement outcomes.
- Surgical mitral valve replacement remains a critical treatment for structural heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review a retrospective cohort study on mitral valve replacement outcomes.
- To assess the interpretation of results considering the methodology used.
Main Methods:
- Review of a single-center, retrospective cohort study.
- Analysis of data from patients undergoing mitral valve replacement between 2007 and 2018.
- Evaluation of the propensity score matching methodology.
Main Results:
- The reviewed study reported excellent outcomes following surgical mitral valve replacement.
- The study included data from a decade of mitral valve replacement procedures.
Conclusions:
- Excellent outcomes were reported for surgical mitral valve replacement.
- Caution is advised when interpreting results due to limitations in the propensity score matching methodology.
Abstract:
The advent of transcatheter valve technology for structural heart disease has led to heightened scrutiny of outcomes following surgical valve replacement. Here, we review a manuscript by Tsubota et al. in the Journal of Cardiac Surgery detailing a single-center, retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing mitral valve replacement from 2007 to 2018. While outcomes appear to be excellent, these results should be carefully interpreted in light of limited data regarding the propensity score match methodology utilized.
