Improving affordability through innovation in the surgical treatment of mitral valve disease

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Robot-Assisted Mitral Valve Repair

OBJECTIVE

Robot-assisted surgery is a minimally invasive approach for repairing the mitral valve. This study aimed to assess its safety and clinical efficacy when compared with conventional sternotomy, partial sternotomy, and right minithoracotomy.

METHODS

A systematic review of peer-reviewed studies comparing robot-assisted mitral valve repair with conventional sternotomy, partial sternotomy, and right minithoracotomy was conducted following Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Meta-analyses were performed where possible.

RESULTS

The search strategy yielded 15 primary studies, of which 12 compared robot-assisted with conventional sternotomy, 2 compared robot-assisted with partial sternotomy, and 6 compared robot-assisted with right minithoracotomy. The overall quality of evidence was low, and there was a lack of data on long-term outcomes. Individual studies and pooled data demonstrated that robotic procedures were comparable to conventional sternotomy and other minimally invasive approaches with respect to the rates of stroke, renal failure, reoperation for bleeding, and mortality. Robot-assisted mitral valve repair was superior to conventional sternotomy with reduced atrial fibrillation, intensive care unit and hospital stay, pain, time to return to normal activities, and physical functioning at 1 year. However, robot-assisted mitral valve repair had longer cardiopulmonary, aortic cross-clamp, and procedure times compared with all other surgical approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on current evidence, robot-assisted mitral valve repair is comparable to other approaches for safety and early postoperative outcomes, despite being associated with longer operative times. Ideally, future studies will be randomized controlled trials that compare between robot-assisted surgery, conventional surgery, and other minimally surgery approaches focusing on hard clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes.

Historical evolution of robot-assisted cardiac surgery: a 25-year journey

Many patients and surgeons today favor the least invasive access to an operative site. The adoption of robot-assisted cardiac surgery has been slow, but now has come to fruition. The development of modern surgical robots took surgeons close collaboration with mechanical, electrical, and optical engineers. Moreover, the necessary project funding required entrepreneurs, federal grants, and venture capital. Non-robotic minimally invasive cardiac surgery paved the way to the application of surgical robots by making changes in operative approaches, instruments, visioning modalities, cardiopulmonary perfusion techniques, and especially surgeons' attitudes. In this article, the serial development of robot-assisted cardiac surgery is detailed from the beginning and through clinical application. Included are references to the historical and most recent clinical series that have given us the evidence that robot-assisted cardiac surgery is safe and provides excellent outcomes. To this end, in many institutions these procedures now have become a new standard of care. This evolution reflects Sir Isaac Newton's famous 1676 quote when referring to Rene Descartes, "If have seen further [sic] than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".

Minimally invasive and transcatheter approaches for mitral valve surgery

Mitral valve surgery has evolved through the ages, in response to prevalent epidemiology of mitral pathologies. In the modern era, advances in technology has allowed physicians to help a wider spectrum on increasingly sicker patients. This review summarises these advances and its associated evidence base for safety and efficacy.

[Right thoracotomy approach for minimally invasive mitral valve surgery]

Minimally invasive approach in mitral valve surgery has been applied since the late 1990s. Considerable experience of mini-thoracotomy in cardiac surgery has been gained over this period. Stages of the development of minimally invasive cardiac surgery are reviewed in the article. Features of mitral valve surgery through right-sided mini-thoracotomy are discussed. Surgical outcomes of these procedures are reported considering data of various cardiac surgery centers. Moreover, the authors determined indications and limitations of this technique.

Surgical closure of atrial septal defects

Surgical repair of an atrial septal defect (ASD) is a safe and effective operation with little to no morbidity and mortality. In an effort to reduce the trauma of surgery, current approaches focus on less invasive surgical techniques, rather than the intracardiac repair. We will describe the different types of ASD, techniques for repair, and options for minimally invasive repair.

Developing a standardized healthcare cost data warehouse

Background

Research addressing value in healthcare requires a measure of cost. While there are many sources and types of cost data, each has strengths and weaknesses. Many researchers appear to create study-specific cost datasets, but the explanations of their costing methodologies are not always clear, causing their results to be difficult to interpret. Our solution, described in this paper, was to use widely accepted costing methodologies to create a service-level, standardized healthcare cost data warehouse from an institutional perspective that includes all professional and hospital-billed services for our patients.

Methods

The warehouse is based on a National Institutes of Research–funded research infrastructure containing the linked health records and medical care administrative data of two healthcare providers and their affiliated hospitals. Since all patients are identified in the data warehouse, their costs can be linked to other systems and databases, such as electronic health records, tumor registries, and disease or treatment registries.

Results

We describe the two institutions’ administrative source data; the reference files, which include Medicare fee schedules and cost reports; the process of creating standardized costs; and the warehouse structure. The costing algorithm can create inflation-adjusted standardized costs at the service line level for defined study cohorts on request.

Conclusion

The resulting standardized costs contained in the data warehouse can be used to create detailed, bottom-up analyses of professional and facility costs of procedures, medical conditions, and patient care cycles without revealing business-sensitive information.

After its creation, a standardized cost data warehouse is relatively easy to maintain and can be expanded to include data from other providers. Individual investigators who may not have sufficient knowledge about administrative data do not have to try to create their own standardized costs on a project-by-project basis because our data warehouse generates standardized costs for defined cohorts upon request.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2327-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cost effectiveness of robotic mitral valve surgery

Significant technological advances have led to an impressive evolution in mitral valve surgery over the last two decades, allowing surgeons to safely perform less invasive operations through the right chest. Most new technology comes with an increased upfront cost that must be measured against postoperative savings and other advantages such as decreased perioperative complications, faster recovery, and earlier return to preoperative level of functioning. The Da Vinci robot is an example of such a technology, combining the significant benefits of minimally invasive surgery with a "gold standard" valve repair. Although some have reported that robotic surgery is associated with increased overall costs, there is literature suggesting that efficient perioperative care and shorter lengths of stay can offset the increased capital and intraoperative expenses. While data on current cost is important to consider, one must also take into account future potential value resulting from technological advancement when evaluating cost-effectiveness. Future refinements that will facilitate more effective surgery, coupled with declining cost of technology will further increase the value of robotic surgery compared to traditional approaches.

Robotic mitral valve repair for degenerative posterior leaflet prolapse

BACKGROUND

Robotic mitral valve (MV) repair is the least invasive surgical approach to the MV and provides unparalleled access to the valve. We sought to assess technical aspects and clinical outcomes of robotic MV repair for isolated posterior leaflet prolapse by examining the first 623 such cases performed in a tertiary care center.

METHODS

We reviewed the first 623 patients (mean age 56±9.7 years) with isolated posterior leaflet prolapse who underwent robotic primary MV repair from 01/2006 to 11/2013. All procedures were performed via right chest access with femoral perfusion for cardiopulmonary bypass.

RESULTS

MV repair was attempted in all patients; 622 (99.8%) underwent MV repair and only 1 (0.2%) converted to replacement. After an initial attempt at robotic MV repair, 8 (1.3%) patients were converted to sternotomy as a result of management of residual mitral regurgitation (n=3), bleeding (n=1), difficulties with surgical exposure (n=2), aortic valve injury (n=1), and aortic dissection (n=1). Intraoperative post-repair echocardiography confirmed that all patients left the operating room with MR graded as mild or less, and pre-discharge echocardiography confirmed mild or less MR in 573 (99.1%). There was no hospital death, sternal wound infection, or renal failure. Seven (1.1%) patients suffered a stroke, 11 (1.8%) patients underwent re-exploration for bleeding, and 111 (19%) experienced new-onset atrial fibrillation. The mean intensive care unit length of stay and hospital length of stay were 29±17 hours and 4.6±1.6 days, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

At a large tertiary care referral center, robotic MV repair for posterior prolapse is associated with zero mortality, infrequent operative morbidity, and near 100% successful repair. The combination of a patient selection algorithm and increased experience improved clinical outcomes and procedural efficiency.

Robotic mitral valve surgery: overview, methodology, results, and perspective

Robotic mitral valve repair began in 1998 and has advanced remarkably. It arose from an interest in reducing patient trauma by operating through smaller incisions with videoscopic assistance. In the United States, following two clinical trials, the FDA approved the daVinci Surgical System in 2002 for intra-cardiac surgery. This device has undergone three iterations, eventuating in the current daVinci XI. At present it is the only robotic device approved for mitral valve surgery. Many larger centers have adopted its use as part of their routine mitral valve repair armamentarium. Although these operations have longer perfusion and arrest times, complications have been either similar or less than other traditional methods. Preoperative screening is paramount and leads to optimal patient selection and outcomes. There are clear contraindications, both relative and absolute, that must be considered. Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiographic studies optimally guide surgeons in operative planning. Herein, we describe the selection criteria as well as our operative management during a robotic mitral valve repair. Major complications are detailed with tips to avoid their occurrence. Operative outcomes from the author's series as well as those from the largest experiences in the United States are described. They show that robotic mitral valve repair is safe and effective, as well as economically reasonable due to lower costs of hospitalization. Thus, the future of this operative technique is bright for centers adopting the "heart team" approach, adequate clinical volume and a dedicated and experienced mitral repair surgeon.

Robotic surgery is the optimal approach for mitral surgery

This report presented an overview of the patient selection, technical considerations and clinical evidence for robotic mitral valve surgery. A review of comparative outcomes to medical therapy, sternotomy approach, and the MitraClip device suggested that robotic mitral valve surgery is safe and effective in specialized centres. Potential benefits include a reliable and durable repair, with reduced perioperative morbidity and improved quality of life. Future studies should aim to delineate mid- and long-term clinical and echocardiographic outcomes following robotic mitral valve repair compared to the conventional sternotomy approach.

Robotic mitral valve surgery: current limitations and future directions

Use of the surgical robot facilitates less invasive mitral valve surgery. Although multiple single center studies confirmed excellent results with robotically-assisted mitral valve surgery, both real and perceived limitations have slowed adoption of this technology. Some still question the safety and efficacy of robotically-assisted mitral valve surgery. However, present data suggests that robotic operations can be performed by specialized surgeons in appropriately selected patients without compromising results. That said, the robot does introduce additional procedural complexity related to management of cardiopulmonary bypass and myocardial protection. A direct approach to these challenges combined with careful patient selection enables the surgeon to obtain excellent results with robotically-assisted mitral valve surgery.

Conditional long-term survival following minimally invasive robotic mitral valve repair: a health services perspective

BACKGROUND

Conditional survival is defined as the probability of surviving an additional number of years beyond that already survived. The aim of this study was to compute conditional survival in patients who received a robotically assisted, minimally invasive mitral valve repair procedure (RMVP).

METHODS

Patients who received RMVP with annuloplasty band from May 2000 through April 2011 were included. A 5- and 10-year conditional survival model was computed using a multivariable product-limit method.

RESULTS

Non-smoking men (≤65 years) who presented in sinus rhythm had a 96% probability of surviving at least 10 years if they survived their first year following surgery. In contrast, recent female smokers (>65 years) with preoperative atrial fibrillation only had an 11% probability of surviving beyond 10 years if alive after one year post-surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of an increasingly managed healthcare environment, conditional survival provides useful information for patients needing to make important treatment decisions, physicians seeking to select patients most likely to benefit long-term following RMVP, and hospital administrators needing to comparatively assess the life-course economic value of high-tech surgical procedures.

How has robotic repair changed the landscape of mitral valve surgery?

The introduction of robotic technology has revolutionized the performance of certain cardiac surgical procedures such as mitral valve (MV) repair. The foundation of modern MV repair was laid by Dr. Dwight C. McGoon in 1958. The operation was first performed with robotic assistance by Carpentier in 1998 using rudimentary motion-assisted equipment. Today, four generations later, telemanipulation technology enables surgeons to carry out all known methods of MV repair traditionally performed by conventional sternotomy; utilizing tiny port access incisions to safely and reliably eliminate mitral regurgitation. Extubation in the operating room following robotic MV repair is now routine and its benefits are well-documented, including transfer to the step-down from the intensive care unit several hours after surgery. This, in turn, translates into diminished usage of blood products, decreased need for pain medication, earlier dismissal from hospital, more rapid return to work and improved patient satisfaction. In addition, smaller, more cosmetically appealing scars and comparable short and mid-term outcomes of robotic and open MV repair have made the robotic approach a preferred option for many patients who meet appropriate safety criteria. As these procedures become more commonplace in large structural heart practices, it is important to reflect upon how the robotic approach has changed the landscape of MV surgery. We discuss the evolution and current status of robotic MV repair founded upon the principles of safe and effective open mitral valvuloplasty techniques. We will explore the potential of the robotic platform to improve both early referral and patient acceptance of interventions to eliminate severe degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Comparison of Index Hospitalization Costs Between Robotic CABG and Conventional CABG: Implications for Hybrid Coronary Revascularization

OBJECTIVES

To compare the direct costs of the index hospitalization and 30-day morbidity and mortality incurred during robotic and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting at a single institution based on hospital clinical and financial records.

DESIGN

Retrospective study, propensity-matched groups with one-to-one nearest neighbor matching.

SETTING

University hospital, a tertiary care center.

PARTICIPANTS

Two thousand eighty-eight consecutive patients who underwent primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from January 2007 to March 2012.

INTERVENTIONS

One hundred forty-one matched pairs were created and analyzed.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Robotic CABG was associated with a decrease in operative time (5.61±1.1 v 6.6±1.15 hours, p<0.001), a lower need for blood transfusion (12.8% v 22.6%, p = 0.04), a shorter length of stay (6 [4-9]) v 7 [5-11] days, p = 0.001), a shorter ICU stay (31 [24-49] hours v 52 [32-96.5] hours, p<0.001) and lower NY state complications composite rate (4.26% v 13.48%, p = 0.01). In spite of that, the cost of robotic procedures was not significantly different from matched conventional cases ($18,717.35 [11,316.1-34,550.6] versus $18,601 [13,137-50,194.75], p = 0.13), except 26 hybrid coronary revascularizations in which angioplasty was performed on the same admission (hybrid 25,311.1 [18,537.1-41,167.85] versus conventional 18,966.13 [13,337.75-56,021.75], p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Robotically assisted CABG does not increase the cost of the index hospitalization when compared to conventional CABG unless hybrid revascularization is performed on the same admission.

The Cost of an Operating Room Minute for Heart Valve Procedures

Background: Heart valve disease is very common, with approximately 5 million people diagnosed with this disease annually in the United States. There has been substantial innovation in the technologies and techniques of surgical repair and replacement over the past decade. However, there is little information that allows the potential time savings associated with these technologies and techniques to be quantified from the hospital perspective. Objectives: The study objective was to estimate the variable cost per operating room (OR) minute in valvular procedures - aortic valve replacement (AVR), mitral valve replacement (MVR) and mitral valve repair (MVRepair) - and determine if there is a difference in OR cost per minute between traditional sternal versus less invasive right thoracotomy surgical techniques. Methods: The Premier database was queried from 2007 to 2011 for patients undergoing AVR, MVR, or MVRepair. Patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) procedure codes. Propensity score matching created cohorts adjusted for patient differences and surgical approach -any sternal incision (Sternal) or right thoracotomy (RT). Regression analysis was performed to estimate the OR cost per minute based on heart valve procedure. Results: There were 2,656 heart valve procedures - 1,604 AVR, 434 MVR and 618 MVRepair - that met the inclusion criteria. The mean OR cost per minute for AVR procedures was $26.49 and $25.16 (p <0.01) for Sternal and RT, respectively. MVR procedures by surgical approach had a mean OR cost per minute of $25.66 and $25.00 and (p NS) for Sternal and RT, respectively. MVRepair procedures by surgical approach had a mean OR cost per minute of $25.17 and $24.40 and (p NS) for Sternal and RT, respectively. The overall estimate of the OR cost per minute for valvular procedures was $25.99. Conclusions: Quantifying the variable cost of an OR minute from a multi-institution database provides researchers with an important benchmark to use in economic evaluations of valvular procedures.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: Does it make a difference?

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) has emerged as an alternative approach to conventional sternotomy to perform mitral valve repair and replacement with equivalent results. This strategy was developed to decrease surgical trauma by minimizing the size of incisions and permits excellent exposure of the mitral valve thereby avoiding conventional full sternotomy. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical, objective, balanced, and evidence-based analysis of the literature to understand advantages, potential scope, and the utility of these minimally invasive approaches to the mitral valve in modern cardiac care.

Robotic-assisted mitral valve repair: surgical technique

Robotic-assisted mitral valve repair represents the least invasive surgical approach currently available for anatomical mitral valve repair in patients with myxomatous mitral valve disease. Standard mitral valve repair techniques utilized during conventional sternotomy/right thoracotomy are exactly replicated with the robotic instrumentation through 1-2 cm port-like incisions with superior 3D visualization. This is performed on cardiopulmonary bypass by peripheral cannulation of the femoral vessels/right internal jugular vein. The ascending aorta is occluded with a transthoracic aortic cross-clamp. Antegrade cardioplegia is delivered centrally into the aortic root through a cardioplegia vent catheter. By replicating conventional mitral valve repair done via an open sternotomy approach, the quality of mitral valve repair is ensured while providing the patients with advantages of less invasive surgery including shorter hospital stay, rapid recovery and return to normal activities, less blood transfusion, superior cosmesis and complete elimination of sternotomy-related morbidities such as deep sternal wound infection and sternal dehiscence. We reviewed the first consecutive 200 patients undergoing robotic mitral valve repair at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 24 January 2008 and 28 January 2011. Successful mitral valve repair was completed in all patients. There were no early (30-day) deaths. One patient suffered a stroke (0.5%). One patient required reoperation for bleeding (0.5%). Two patients (1%) required reoperation for recurrent mitral regurgitation. Twelve patients (6%) required transfusion of allogeneic blood products. We have noted a significant reduction in operative times and resource utilization over time.

Mitral valve repair in asymptomatic patients with severe mitral regurgitation: pushing past the tipping point

Degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is the one of the most frequent valvular heart conditions in the Western world and is increasingly recognized as an important preventable cause of chronic heart failure. This condition also represents the most common indication for mitral surgery and is of particular interest because the mitral valve can be repaired in most patients with very low surgical risk. Historical single-center studies have supported the performance of "early mitral valve repair" in asymptomatic patients with severe degenerative MR to normalize survival and improve late outcomes. Emerging recent evidence further indicates for the first time that the prompt surgical correction of severe MR due to flail mitral leaflets within 3 months following diagnosis in asymptomatic patients without classical Class I indications (symptoms or left ventricular dysfunction) conveys a 40% decrease in the risk of late death and a 60% diminution in heart failure incidence. A 10-point rationale based on the weight of rapidly accumulating clinical data, supports the performance of early mitral valve repair even in the absence of symptoms, left ventricular dysfunction, or guideline-based triggers; when effective operations can be provided using conventional or minimally invasive techniques at very low surgical risk.

Robotically assisted minimally invasive mitral valve surgery

Increased recognition of advantages, over the last decade, of minimizing surgical trauma by operating through smaller incisions and its direct impact on reduced postoperative pain, quicker recovery, improved cosmesis and earlier return to work has spurred the minimally invasive cardiac surgical revolution. This transition began in the early 1990s with advancements in endoscopic instruments, video & fiberoptic technology and improvements in perfusion systems for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) via peripheral cannulation. Society of Thoracic Surgeons data documents that 20% of all mitral valve surgeries are performed using minimally invasive techniques, with half being robotically assisted. This article reviews the current status of robotically assisted mitral valve surgery, its advantages and technical modifications for optimizing clinical outcomes.