Gender-Based Analysis of Patients Undergoing Mitral Valve Surgery

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Cardiac Surgery
• Mitral Valve Disease

Background:

• Optimizing surgical treatment for mitral valve disease (MVD) requires understanding gender-specific differences.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated these gender-based variations in MVD presentation and surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze gender-based differences in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery.
• To identify variations in patient characteristics, surgical details, and short-term outcomes between males and females with MVD.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 809 consecutive patients undergoing mitral valve surgery between January 2019 and December 2024.
• Comparison of patient demographics, comorbidities, surgical procedures (e.g., minimally invasive, mitral valve repair), and postoperative outcomes stratified by gender.

Main Results:

• Females were older, had higher rates of atrial fibrillation, rheumatoid arthritis, malignancy, and preoperative ICU admission.
• Males more frequently underwent minimally invasive surgery and mitral valve repair, with higher rates of severe mitral regurgitation and posterior mitral leaflet prolapse.
• Despite differing presentations, early major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and 1- and 3-year freedom from events were comparable between genders.

Conclusions:

• Mitral valve disease exhibits distinct pathophysiological processes and clinical presentations between genders.
• Mitral valve surgery demonstrates comparable safety and efficacy in both males and females.
• Understanding these gender differences can help optimize individualized surgical strategies for mitral valve disease.