Abstract

Abstract Mitral Regurgitation (MR) is both the most common and the most underdiagnosed valvulopathy in Western countries. When MR’s entity is moderate to severe it is highly burdened by incident heart failure causing an important impact on prognosis, in terms of mortality and re–hospitalization. Unfortunately a lot of symptomatic patients are not elegible to reparative or replacement surgery also due to the high procedural risks. Hence, the need for a less invasive treatment has grown, so endovascular repair techniques have been developed such as the CARILLON Mitral Contour System, a percutaneous procedure for reshape the mitral annulus reducing its dilation and mitral regurgitation. This technique is indicated for patients with secondary mitral regurgitation. The CARILLON is a simple and fast procedure with a right jugular approach that requires neither general anesthesia nor anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy. Four patients including 3 men, aged 37–64 years, suffering from heart failure and moderate to severe secondary mitral regurgitation who were symptomatic in optimal medical therapy, NYHA II – III class, were admitted to our Cardiological Intensive Care Unit from April to September 2021. All patients underwent coronary angiography and three patients had no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). All patients underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showing severely dilated left ventricles (DTD 70 ± 10mm, DTS 46 ± 21mm, VTD 264 ± 6ml, VTS 204 ± 6ml), severe reduction in ejection fraction (mean EF 24 ± 5%), severely dilated left atrium, mean volume values 47 ± 13ml/m2, moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (vena contracta 6 ± 2mm, EROA 34 ± 9mm2, regurgitation volume 37 ± 12 ml, regurgitation fraction mean 54 ± 4%). After implantation of the Carillon no complications were observed. In the 3–month follow–up, patients reported improvement in symptoms, exercise capacity and NYHA class. At the echocardiographic evaluation we saw improvement in contractile function and left ventricular size, reduction in the degree of mitral regurgitation to mild–moderate. There were no further hospitalizations for heart failure during the follow–up. The data, albeit limited to our little experience, show how the Carillon reduces mitral regurgitation and improves clinical outcomes in terms of exercise tolerance, quality of life and reduction of hospital admissions, which have social and economic relevance.

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