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Improving Mitral Repair for Functional Mitral Regurgitation

Improving Mitral Repair for Functional Mitral Regurgitation

Status
Terminated
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03366649
Acronym
IMPROVE-FMR
Enrollment
34
Registered
2017-12-08
Start date
2018-03-20
Completion date
2023-12-31
Last updated
2025-01-16

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular Diseases, Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Disease, Mitral Valve Disease, Valvular Heart Disease

Keywords

Bypass Surgery, Cardiology, Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Mitral Valve Repair, Mitral Valve Surgery, Coronary Revascularization

Brief summary

The investigators are interested in determining the best surgical technique to correct functional mitral regurgitation, as there is currently not one technique that is established to work better than the other. The technique used in current clinical practice is undersizing mitral annuloplasty (UMA), in which a prosthetic ring is implanted onto the mitral valve to correct the leakage. Though widely adopted, durability of the repair is less, as 58% of the patients present with recurrent FMR within 2 years. There are no specific algorithms to predict who might have UMA failure, but research indicates that some geometric indices might be strong predictors. The investigators are interested in testing the hypothesis that, elevated lateral inter-papillary muscle separation (IPMS) is a predictor of post-UMA recurrence of FMR at 12 months. In the first part of this study, the study team will measure lateral IPMS before surgery and relate to post-surgery FMR severity at discharge/30 days, 6 months and 12 months. A relatively newer technique is papillary muscle approximation (PMA), in which a suture draws together the two muscles that connect the mitral valve to the heart muscle prior to performing UMA. This reduces the lateral inter-papillary muscle separation (IPMS) and is expected to improve the durability of UMA. In the second part of this study, the investigators will perform PMA and UMA together and determine if FMR severity is reduced at discharge/30 days, 6 months and 12 months.

Detailed description

Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is a common heart valve lesion that is observed in patients suffering for cardiomyopathies. Timely surgical repair of FMR can reduce volume overload and potentially improve cardiac function. Durable surgical techniques for FMR repair are lacking. Undersizing mitral annuloplasty (UMA) is the current technique of choice, but its durability is quite poor. Thirty five percent of the repairs fail within one year and 58% fail within 2 years. One of the probable mechanisms causing UMA failure is elevated lateral inter-papillary muscle separation (IPMS). The study investigators are interested in understanding if the extent of lateral IPMS has a direct impact on the failure rates of UMA at 1 year post surgery. Secondly, the investigators are interested in determining if patients with elevated lateral IPMS benefit from papillary muscle approximation (PMA) along with UMA. The investigators are interested in determining the best way to correct functional mitral regurgitation, as there is currently not one technique that is established to better than the other. The most common repair technique is called undersizing mitral annuloplasty (UMA), in which a prosthetic ring is implanted onto the mitral valve to correct the leakage. Another more recent technique is papillary muscle approximation (PMA), in which a suture draws together the two muscles that connect the mitral valve to the heart muscle prior to performing UMA. In this research study, the study team is investigating whether they can identify those patients who will benefit from one repair over another. The primary objective of this protocol is to investigate if pre-operative IPMS is predictive of FMR severity at 12 months after UMA to repair FMR. Furthermore, whether a cut-off value of pre-operative inter-papillary muscle separation can be established to predict patients who might have failure of UMA. The secondary objective of this protocol is to investigate if adding PMA to UMA is an effective technique in reducing recurrence of FMR at 12 months post-procedure.

Interventions

PROCEDUREUndersizing Mitral Annuloplasty

Participants will receive a commercially available annuloplasty ring of the surgeon's choice. Sutures are placed around the mitral annulus, and the metallic ring is then implanted onto the mitral annulus to reduce it in size.

PROCEDUREPapillary Muscle Approximation

One or two 4-0 pledgeted sutures are used to draw the two papillary muscle tips together to reduce the inter papillary muscle separation (IPMS) before undergoing undersizing mitral annuloplasty.

Sponsors

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
CollaboratorNIH
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
CollaboratorNIH
Emory University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Mitral regurgitation of moderate or greater severity, as defined by the guidelines of the American Society of Echocardiography (via a transthoracic echo) * Cardiomyopathy of ischemic or non-ischemic origins, with or without the need for coronary revascularization * Concomitant right-sided valve repair or replacement (i.e. patients requiring concomitant tricuspid procedures) * Able to sign informed consent and release of medical information forms

Exclusion criteria

* Any evidence of structural (chordal or leaflet) mitral lesions * Prior mitral valve repair * Contraindication for cardiopulmonary bypass * Clinical signs of cardiogenic shock at the time of randomization * ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction within 14 days before inclusion in this study * Congenital heart disease, except patent foramen ovale (PFO) or atrial septal defect (ASD) * Chronic renal insufficiency defined by creatinine ≥ 3.0 or chronic renal replacement therapy, who are contraindicated for cardiac surgery * Recent history of psychiatric disease that is likely to impair compliance with the study protocol, in the judgement of the investigator * Pregnancy at the time of randomization

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in FMR SeverityPre-Intervention and Post-Intervention (12 Months)The Severity (grade 0 to 4+) of mitral regurgitation of mitral regurgitation is measured using cardiac echocardiography and/or MRI (per physician's discretion). Grade 0: None Grade 1 (Mild): Small, restricted jet of regurgitation with minimal impact on the heart's function. Typically, no symptoms and normal or near-normal left ventricular function. Grade 2 (Moderate): Moderate jet size with some effect on the heart, but symptoms may still be absent or minimal. Mild to moderate left ventricular dilation may be present. Grade 3 (Moderately Severe): Larger jet, more significant regurgitation, potentially causing mild heart failure symptoms or moderate dilation of the left ventricle. Grade 4 (Severe): A large, prominent jet of regurgitation that significantly impacts heart function, often resulting in severe symptoms and marked left ventricular dilation.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)Up to 12 months post -interventionMACE is defined as a composite of clinical events comprised of the following: * Death * Stroke * Worsening heart failure (+1 New York Heart Association (NYHA) class) * Congestive heart failure (CHF) hospitalization * Mitral valve re-intervention
Change in Quality-of-Life Scale ScoreBaseline, Post-Intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)Participants will be asked to measure their perceived quality of life on a scale from 0 to 100 where 0 indicates worst imaginable health state and 100 indicates best imaginable health state.
Change in Minnesota Living With Heart Failure (MLHF) Questionnaire ScoreBaseline, Post-Intervention (Month 12)The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire is a 21-item questionnaire that asks participants to describe how much their heart failure has affected life during the past month (4 weeks). Participants are asked if their heart failure prevented them from living as they want when completing daily tasks. Responses are rated on a scale from 0 to 5; 0 represents no, 1 represents very little and 5 represents very much on a continuum. The MLHF score is obtained by summing the subjects responses. A minimum score is 0 indicating no affect to life and a maximum score is 105 indicating the greatest affect to life.
Change in Functional Status Assessed by 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)Baseline, Post-intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)Functional status will be measured by a 6-minute walk test, which assesses the distance walked (in feet) on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes (the 6MWD). The test is used for preoperative and postoperative evaluation and for measuring the response to therapeutic interventions for pulmonary and cardiac disease. Optimal reference equations from healthy population-based samples using standardized 6MWT methods are not yet available. A low 6MWD is nonspecific and nondiagnostic. When the 6MWD is reduced, a thorough search for the cause of the impairment is warranted.
Mortality RatePost-Intervention (Up to 20 Days), Post-Intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)The number of participants who are deceased will be collected throughout the study at discharge and planned follow up visits.
Heart Failure Readmission RatePost Surgery (Up to 30 Days)Readmission rate will be calculated for heart failure after 30 days following surgery throughout the duration of the study. Classification of readmission as heart failure related requires at least 2 out of the following signs and symptoms of acute decompensated heart failure: * Dyspnea felt related to HF * Treatment with intravenous diuretic, vasodilator or inotropic therapy * X ray evidence of pulmonary edema or pulmonary vascular congestion * Rales on physical exam * Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or LVEDP \> 18mm Hg
Change in Left Ventricular VolumeBaseline, Post-Intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)Change in left ventricular volume at 6- and 12-month post-intervention compared to baseline as measured by as measured by the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter determined by echocardiogram.
Change in Ejection FractionBaseline, Post-Intervention (Month 12)Change in left ventricular ejection fraction at 12- months post-intervention compared to baseline as measured by echocardiogram.
Change in Left Ventricular MassBaseline, Post-Intervention (Month 12)Change in left ventricular mass at 12 months post intervention compared to baseline as measured by cardiac MRI.
All Cause Readmission RatePost Surgery (Up to 30 Days)Readmission rate will be calculated for any cause within the first 30 days following surgery throughout the duration of the study.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Efforts were made to include post-surgery patients and those from prior years. However, required preoperative imaging was unavailable, preventing preop vs. follow-up comparisons. No participants were enrolled in UMA + PMA (Group 2), and no retrospectively identified patients were included in Group 3.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
UMA (Group 1)
Participants in the UMA group will receive an undersizing mitral annuloplasty (UMA). Undersizing Mitral Annuloplasty: Participants will receive a commercially available annuloplasty ring of the surgeon's choice. Sutures are placed around the mitral annulus, and the metallic ring is then implanted onto the mitral annulus to reduce it in size.
30
Total30

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002
Overall StudyFailed preoperative screening400
Overall StudyHad concomitant valves replacements, therefore not included in data analysis400

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicUMA (Group 1)
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
16 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
14 Participants
Age, Continuous64.6 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.7
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
29 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
16 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
14 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
30 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
12 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
18 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 26
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 26
serious
Total, serious adverse events
4 / 26

Outcome results

Primary

Change in FMR Severity

The Severity (grade 0 to 4+) of mitral regurgitation of mitral regurgitation is measured using cardiac echocardiography and/or MRI (per physician's discretion). Grade 0: None Grade 1 (Mild): Small, restricted jet of regurgitation with minimal impact on the heart's function. Typically, no symptoms and normal or near-normal left ventricular function. Grade 2 (Moderate): Moderate jet size with some effect on the heart, but symptoms may still be absent or minimal. Mild to moderate left ventricular dilation may be present. Grade 3 (Moderately Severe): Larger jet, more significant regurgitation, potentially causing mild heart failure symptoms or moderate dilation of the left ventricle. Grade 4 (Severe): A large, prominent jet of regurgitation that significantly impacts heart function, often resulting in severe symptoms and marked left ventricular dilation.

Time frame: Pre-Intervention and Post-Intervention (12 Months)

Population: Data is available only for the 12-month follow-up, as other data was unavailable due to many follow-ups occurring during the COVID pandemic.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
UMA (Group 1)Change in FMR SeverityBaseline2.7 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.8
UMA (Group 1)Change in FMR Severity12 months post-intervention0.7 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.7
Secondary

All Cause Readmission Rate

Readmission rate will be calculated for any cause within the first 30 days following surgery throughout the duration of the study.

Time frame: Post Surgery (Up to 30 Days)

Population: Participants with valid data.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
UMA (Group 1)All Cause Readmission RatePost-Surgery (up to 30 days)2 Participants
UMA (Group 1)All Cause Readmission RatePost-Surgery (30 days through 12 Months)4 Participants
Secondary

Change in Ejection Fraction

Change in left ventricular ejection fraction at 12- months post-intervention compared to baseline as measured by echocardiogram.

Time frame: Baseline, Post-Intervention (Month 12)

Population: Participants who had adequate echocardiograms to complete this evaluation.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
UMA (Group 1)Change in Ejection FractionBaseline45 percentage of ejection fractionStandard Deviation 14
UMA (Group 1)Change in Ejection Fraction12 months post-intervention46 percentage of ejection fractionStandard Deviation 14
Secondary

Change in Functional Status Assessed by 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)

Functional status will be measured by a 6-minute walk test, which assesses the distance walked (in feet) on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes (the 6MWD). The test is used for preoperative and postoperative evaluation and for measuring the response to therapeutic interventions for pulmonary and cardiac disease. Optimal reference equations from healthy population-based samples using standardized 6MWT methods are not yet available. A low 6MWD is nonspecific and nondiagnostic. When the 6MWD is reduced, a thorough search for the cause of the impairment is warranted.

Time frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)

Population: Participants who completed the study procedure. Data is available only for the 12-month follow-up, as other data was unavailable due to many follow-ups occurring during the COVID pandemic.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
UMA (Group 1)Change in Functional Status Assessed by 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)Baseline1048.4 feetStandard Deviation 293.7
UMA (Group 1)Change in Functional Status Assessed by 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)12 months Post-Intervention1210.6 feetStandard Deviation 203.6
Secondary

Change in Left Ventricular Mass

Change in left ventricular mass at 12 months post intervention compared to baseline as measured by cardiac MRI.

Time frame: Baseline, Post-Intervention (Month 12)

Population: Some MRIs were performed but not analyzed, as these were research trial MRIs. The original PI and a research post-doc who were the expert analysts, left before reading the MRIs. Only eight patients had both pre- and post-MRIs. Outsourcing analysis was too costly, and meaningful comparisons weren't possible with such a small sample, so the MRIs were not read for the study.

Secondary

Change in Left Ventricular Volume

Change in left ventricular volume at 6- and 12-month post-intervention compared to baseline as measured by as measured by the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter determined by echocardiogram.

Time frame: Baseline, Post-Intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)

Population: Participants with valid data. Data is available only for the 12-month follow-up, as other data was sparse due to many follow-ups occurring during the COVID pandemic.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
UMA (Group 1)Change in Left Ventricular VolumeBaseline5.4 centimetersStandard Deviation 0.8
UMA (Group 1)Change in Left Ventricular Volume12 months Post-Intervention4.8 centimetersStandard Deviation 0.8
Secondary

Change in Minnesota Living With Heart Failure (MLHF) Questionnaire Score

The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire is a 21-item questionnaire that asks participants to describe how much their heart failure has affected life during the past month (4 weeks). Participants are asked if their heart failure prevented them from living as they want when completing daily tasks. Responses are rated on a scale from 0 to 5; 0 represents no, 1 represents very little and 5 represents very much on a continuum. The MLHF score is obtained by summing the subjects responses. A minimum score is 0 indicating no affect to life and a maximum score is 105 indicating the greatest affect to life.

Time frame: Baseline, Post-Intervention (Month 12)

Population: Participants who answered the specific questionnaires within the specific study window. Data is available only for the 12-month follow-up, as other data was unavailable due to many follow-ups occurring during the COVID pandemic.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
UMA (Group 1)Change in Minnesota Living With Heart Failure (MLHF) Questionnaire ScoreBaseline44.2 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 31.3
UMA (Group 1)Change in Minnesota Living With Heart Failure (MLHF) Questionnaire Score12 months Post-Intervention30.9 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 28
Secondary

Change in Quality-of-Life Scale Score

Participants will be asked to measure their perceived quality of life on a scale from 0 to 100 where 0 indicates worst imaginable health state and 100 indicates best imaginable health state.

Time frame: Baseline, Post-Intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)

Population: Participants who completed the questionnaires within the specific study window. Data is available only for the 12-month follow-up, as other data was unavailable due to many follow-ups occurring during the COVID pandemic.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
UMA (Group 1)Change in Quality-of-Life Scale ScoreBaseline69.0 Score on a scaleStandard Deviation 19
UMA (Group 1)Change in Quality-of-Life Scale ScorePost-Intervention (Month 12)76.9 Score on a scaleStandard Deviation 16.9
Secondary

Heart Failure Readmission Rate

Readmission rate will be calculated for heart failure after 30 days following surgery throughout the duration of the study. Classification of readmission as heart failure related requires at least 2 out of the following signs and symptoms of acute decompensated heart failure: * Dyspnea felt related to HF * Treatment with intravenous diuretic, vasodilator or inotropic therapy * X ray evidence of pulmonary edema or pulmonary vascular congestion * Rales on physical exam * Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or LVEDP \> 18mm Hg

Time frame: Post Surgery (Up to 30 Days)

Population: Participants with valid data.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
UMA (Group 1)Heart Failure Readmission Rate0 Participants
Secondary

Mortality Rate

The number of participants who are deceased will be collected throughout the study at discharge and planned follow up visits.

Time frame: Post-Intervention (Up to 20 Days), Post-Intervention (Month 6), Post-Intervention (Month 12)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
UMA (Group 1)Mortality Rateup to 20 days post-Intervention0 Participants
UMA (Group 1)Mortality Rate12 months post-intervention0 Participants
Secondary

Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)

MACE is defined as a composite of clinical events comprised of the following: * Death * Stroke * Worsening heart failure (+1 New York Heart Association (NYHA) class) * Congestive heart failure (CHF) hospitalization * Mitral valve re-intervention

Time frame: Up to 12 months post -intervention

Population: Participants with valid data.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
UMA (Group 1)Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)Congestive heart failure (CHF) hospitalization1 Participants
UMA (Group 1)Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)Death0 Participants
UMA (Group 1)Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)Mitral valve re-intervention0 Participants
UMA (Group 1)Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)Stroke0 Participants
UMA (Group 1)Number of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE)Worsening heart failure (+1 New York Heart Association (NYHA) class)0 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026