Transcatheter Repair versus Mitral-Valve Surgery for Secondary Mitral Regurgitation

N Engl J Med. 2024 Nov 14;391(19):1787-1798. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2408739. Epub 2024 Aug 31.

Abstract

Background: Current treatment recommendations for patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation include transcatheter edge-to-edge repair and mitral-valve surgery. Data from randomized trials comparing these therapies are lacking in this patient population.

Methods: In this noninferiority trial conducted in Germany, patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation who continued to have symptoms despite guideline-directed medical therapy were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to undergo either transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (intervention group) or surgical mitral-valve repair or replacement (surgery group). The primary efficacy end point was a composite of death, hospitalization for heart failure, mitral-valve reintervention, implantation of an assist device, or stroke within 1 year after the procedure. The primary safety end point was a composite of major adverse events within 30 days after the procedure.

Results: A total of 210 patients underwent randomization. The mean (±SD) age of the patients was 70.5±7.9 years, 39.9% were women, and the mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 43.0±11.7%. Within 1 year, at least one of the components of the primary efficacy end point occurred in 16 of the 96 patients with available data (16.7%) in the intervention group and in 20 of the 89 with available data (22.5%) in the surgery group (estimated mean difference, -6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -17 to 6; P<0.001 for noninferiority). A primary safety end-point event occurred in 15 of the 101 patients with available data (14.9%) in the intervention group and in 51 of the 93 patients with available data (54.8%) in the surgery group (estimated mean difference, -40 percentage points; 95% CI, -51 to -27; P<0.001).

Conclusions: Among patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair was noninferior to mitral-valve surgery with respect to a composite of death, rehospitalization for heart failure, stroke, reintervention, or implantation of an assist device in the left ventricle at 1 year. (Funded by Abbott Vascular; MATTERHORN ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02371512.).

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Equivalence Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cardiac Catheterization* / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Heart Failure* / complications
  • Heart Failure* / mortality
  • Heart Failure* / surgery
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation* / adverse effects
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation* / methods
  • Heart-Assist Devices / statistics & numerical data
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency* / etiology
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency* / mortality
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency* / surgery
  • Mitral Valve* / surgery
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
  • Postoperative Complications / etiology
  • Stroke / epidemiology
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Stroke / prevention & control

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02371512