Abstract
Background and Objectives: Mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is a widely adopted therapeutic approach for managing significant mitral regurgitation (MR) in high-risk surgical candidates. While procedural safety and efficacy have been demonstrated, the impact of institutional expertise on outcomes remains unclear. We aimed at evaluating whether the institutional monthly volume of TEER influences short- and long-term clinical results. Materials and Methods: This analysis from the multicenter, prospective GIOTTO trial study evaluated the impact of institutional monthly volume on outcomes of TEER to remedy significant mitral regurgitation. Centers were stratified into tertiles based on monthly volumes (≤2.0 cases/month, 2.1-3.5 cases/month, >3.5 cases/month), and key clinical, echocardiographic, and procedural outcomes were analyzed. Statistical analysis was based on standard bivariate tests as well as unadjusted and multivariable adjusted Cox models. Results: A total of 2213 patients were included, stratified into tertiles based on institutional procedural volume: 645 (29.1%) patients in the first tertile, 947 (42.8%) patients in the second tertile, and 621 (28.1%) patients in the third tertile. Several baseline differences were found, with some features disfavoring less busy centers (e.g., functional class and surgical risk, both p < 0.05), and others suggesting a worse risk profile in those treated in busier institutions (e.g., frailty and history of prior mitral valve intervention, both p < 0.05). Procedural success rates were higher in busier centers (p < 0.001), and hospital stay was also shorter there (p < 0.001). Long-term follow-up (median 14 months) suggested worse outcomes in patients treated in less busy centers at unadjusted analysis (e.g., p = 0.018 for death, p = 0.015 for cardiac death, p = 0.014 for death or hospitalization for heart failure, p < 0.001 for cardiac death or hospitalization for heart failure), even if these associations proved no longer significant after multivariable adjustment, except for cardiac death or hospitalization for heart failure, which appeared significantly less common in the busiest centers (p < 0.05). Similar trends were observed when focusing on tertiles of overall center volume and when comparing for each center the first 50 cases with the following ones. Conclusions: High institutional monthly volume of TEER mitral valve repair appears to correlate with an improved procedural success rate and shorter hospitalizations. Similarly favorable results were found for long-term rates of cardiac death or hospitalization for heart failure. These findings inform on the importance of operator experience and center expertise in achieving state-of-the-art results with TEER, while confirming the usefulness of the proctoring approach when naïve centers begin a TEER program.