Mitral Regurgitation in Patients with Coexisting Chronic Aortic Regurgitation: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review

Chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) frequently leads to significant downstream changes to the left ventricle (LV) and pulmonary vasculature; these structural and physiologic changes result in lower than expected patient survival. Progressive, uncorrected AR can lead to LV dilation and subsequent mitral valve leaflet tethering, as well as mitral annular dilation, resulting in secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) in up to 45% of patients. Surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) improves secondary MR in most patients, but survival is significantly lower in those patients who do not show improvement in MR after AVR.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Expert Review Source Type: research