Author(s)

Nirmal Kumar, Prashant Sevta, Subodh Satyarthy, Saket Agarwal, Vithal Kumar Betigeri, Deepak Kumar Satsangi

Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Center, New Delhi, India.
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, G. B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Introduction: In patients undergoing surgery for mitral valve replacement (MVR) for valvular heart disease, pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) has been considered a major risk factor. In this prospective study, we have studied the early hemodynamic changes and post-operative outcomes of MVR among patients with severe PAH. Methods: 68 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve replacement for severe rheumatic mitral valve disease with severe PAH (pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) > 50 mmHg) were studied prospectively for immediate postoperative hemodynamics and outcomes. The mean age of the patients was 32.1 years. 32 (47.05%) patients had mitral stenosis, 13 (19.11%) had mitral regurgitation and 23 (33.82%) had mixed lesions. Patients were divided into two groups based on preoperative pulmonary artery pressures. In 56 patients (82.35%, group I) PAP was sub-systemic or systemic, with a mean of 58.4 mmHg. Twelve patients (17.65%, group II) had supra-systemic PAP with a mean of 82.4 mmHg. Results: After mitral valve replacement, the PAP and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreased significantly in group I to near normal levels. In group II also the PAP and PVR decreased significantly but significant residual PAH remained. Operative mortality was 3.5% in group I and 16.6% in group II. Conclusions: MVR is safe and effective at the presence of severe PAH as long as the PAP is below or equal to systemic pressures. With suprasystemic PAP, MVR carries a high risk of mortality and the patient continues to have severe PAH in the postoperative period.

Pulmonary Artery Hypertension; Mitral Valve Replacement

Kumar, N. , Sevta, P. , Satyarthy, S. , Agarwal, S. , Betigeri, V. and Satsangi, D. (2013) Early Results of Mitral Valve Replacement in Severe Pulmonary Artery Hypertension—An Institutional Prospective Study. World Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, 3, 63-69. doi: 10.4236/wjcs.2013.32011.