Can stress echocardiography identify patients who will benefit from percutaneous mitral valve repair?

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether stress echocardiography improves selection of patients who might have clinical benefit from percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip. In total, 39 patients selected for MitraClip implantation underwent preprocedural low-dose stress (dobutamine or handgrip) echocardiography from which stroke volume, ejection fraction and MR grade were measured. Outcome after MitraClip implantation was determined by New York Heart Association classification and Quality of Life questionnaires. Clinical benefit from MitraClip treatment was defined as survival and NYHA class I–II at 6 months follow-up. In total, 36 patients with a technically successful procedure were included in the analysis (mean age 79 ± 8 years, 47% male, 50% functional MR). Clinical benefit was achieved in 18 patients. All seven patients with MR decreasing during stress remained in NYHA III–IV or died within 6 months, while 62% (18 out of 29) of the patients with stable or increased MR during stress had clinical benefit (p = 0.008). Significant increase in Quality of Life on 4/8 subscales of the RAND Short Form-36 questionnaire was observed: Physical Functioning (p < 0.001), Social Functioning (p < 0.001), Mental Health (p = 0.022) and Vitality (p = 0.026) was seen in patients with an increase in stroke volume during stress echocardiography. Patients with a decreased MR during preprocedural stress echocardiography remained more symptomatic than patients with a stable or increased MR during stress. Stress echocardiography may support patient selection for percutaneous mitral valve repair.