Comparative study of coronary artery bypass grafting combined with off-pump mitral valvuloplasty versus coronary artery bypass grafting alone in patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation

Introduction: Whether mitral surgery should be performed simultaneously with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation (MIMR) is controversial. This study was performed to introduce a method of off-pump mitral valvuloplasty after off-pump CABG (OPCABG) and compare it with OPCABG alone.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with MIMR underwent OPCABG. Among them, 21 patients (Group A) underwent posterior mitral annuloplasty without cardiopulmonary bypass, and 62 patients (Group B) underwent OPCABG alone. The primary endpoint of follow-up was the mitral regurgitation area.

Results: The mean mitral regurgitant area in Group A and B was 6.42 ± 1.02 and 5.49 ± 1.24 cm² preoperatively (p = .479), 2.93 ± 1.35 and 3.28 ± 1.93 cm² at 1 week postoperatively (p = .516), 3.06 ± 2.16 and 3.09 ± 1.85 cm² at 3 months postoperatively (p = .839), and 3.02 ± 1.60 and 3.7 cm² (median) at 1 year postoperatively (p = .043). There was less regurgitation in Group A at the mid-term. Intragroup comparison showed significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative values in both groups, with no difference in the regurgitant area at each postoperative time point in Group A but a significant difference between 3 months and 1 year postoperatively in Group B (p = .042). Multiple linear regression showed that the mid-term mitral regurgitant area changes were negatively correlated with graft flow and positively correlated with age.

Conclusion: In patients with MIMR who underwent OPCABG plus off-pump mitral valve annuloplasty, the mitral regurgitant area was smaller and mitral regurgitation recurrence was less frequent at the mid-term follow-up.