Robotic mitral valve repair for all categories of leaflet prolapse: Improving patient appeal and advancing standard of care

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the early outcomes of robotic mitral valve (MV) repair using standard open techniques. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 100 patients with severe mitral regurgitation due to leaflet prolapse who underwent robot-assisted MV repair using conventional open-repair techniques between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53.9 years; 77 patients (77%) were male. Fifty-nine patients (59%) had posterior leaflet prolapse, 38 (38%) had bileaflet disease, and 3 (3%) had isolated anterior leaflet prolapse. Median cross-clamp and bypass times decreased significantly during the course of the study (P<.001). Median postoperative ventilation time was 0 hours for the last 25 patients, with most patients extubated in the operating room. No deaths occurred. Reexploration for postoperative bleeding occurred in 1 patient (1%); 3 patients (3%) required percutaneous coronary intervention. Median hospital stay was 3 days. One patient (1%) underwent mitral reoperation for annuloplasty band dehiscence. Residual regurgitation was mild or less in all patients at dismissal and 1 month postoperatively. Significant reverse remodeling occurred by 1 month, including decreased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (-7.2 mm; P<.001) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (-61.0 mL; P<.001). CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted MV repair using proven, conventional open-repair techniques is reproducible and safe and hastens recovery for all categories of leaflet prolapse. One month after surgery, significant regression in left ventricular size and volume is evident.