Mitral annular calcification—A marker of risk, and a harbinger of technical challenges during intervention

Abstract

Key Points Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a marker of high cardiovascular risk, as well as an obstacle to procedural success during mitral valve surgery. This pathology leads to low intervention rates, even in symptomatic patients. The authors find that, in carefully selected patients with MAC, mitral valve surgery can produce adequate results and should be pursued when indicated. The procedural results and clinical benefits of transcatheter edge‐to‐edge mitral valve repair (TMVr) in this cohort of patients treated between 2015 and 2016 were less than satisfactory, and no better than those of medical therapy. Further TMVr technical refinements are necessary before this technique can benefit patients with mitral valve dysfunction