Quality of life following percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip System

Background Percutaneous valve repair with MitraClip System is an emerging alternative for high surgical risk patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). QoL is a critical measure of effectiveness of this procedure. We sought to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and NYHA class following this novel procedure. Methods The study included 39 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve repair with the MitraClip System, both for functional (64%) and degenerative (36%) MR. All patients received the SF-12v2® questionnaire pre-procedure and at 6 months follow-up to assess the physical and mental health. Results Acute procedural success was obtained in 100%. Three patients experienced minor procedural complications. At follow-up 86% of patients had MR ≤ 1+ and 14% experienced a moderate MR. Mean pre-procedural SF-12v2 scores of our patients showed a severe impairment of perceived QoL, both for physical and mental scores; after six months a striking improvement in physical (PCS 35.44 vs 44.67, p < 0.0001) and mental (MCS 38.07 vs 46.94, p < 0.0001) aspect of QoL was observed. Furthermore, physical and mental status upgrading was higher in patients with functional MR. NYHA functional class improved in all patients. Conclusion Our results show an early marked improvement in functional status and physical and mental health in patients underwent percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip System