The Impact of Aorto-mitral Angle on New Onset Atrial Arrhythmia after
Mitral Valve Repair in Patients with Mitral Regurgitation
Abstract
Background: We hypothesized that the post-operative aorto-mitral angle
might relate to the occurrence of post-operative atrial arrhythmia (AA),
including atrial fibrillation and atrial tachycardia, after mitral valve
repair in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR). The purpose of the
present study was to determine the effects of the post-operative
aorto-mitral angle on new onset AA after mitral valve repair with mitral
annuloplasty for treating MR. Methods: One-hundred seventy-two patients
without any history of AA underwent mitral valve repair with mitral
annuloplasty in our institution between 2008 and 2017. Patient
information, including medical records and echocardiographic data, were
retrospectively studied. Results: AA occurred in 15 (8.7%) patients
during the follow-up period (median, 35.7 months; range, 0.5-132
months). The patients with AA had a longer cardiopulmonary bypass time
and a smaller aorto-mitral angle at post-operative TTE than the others
(119 ± 6 degrees vs. 125 ± 10 degrees, P = 0.003). There was no
significant difference in the degree of post-operative residual MR or
functional MS between the groups. In a multivariate Cox proportional
hazards analysis, the longer cardiopulmonary bypass time and the smaller
post-operative aorto-mitral angle were independent predictors of the
occurrence of AA during the follow-up period (odds ratio per 10 minutes
1.11; 95% CI 1.02-1.22, P = 0.019: odds ratio 0.91; 95% CI 0.85-0.98,
P = 0.012). Conclusion: A small aorto-mitral angle at post-operative TTE
was a predictor of new onset AA after a mitral valve repair for treating
MR.