Defining patient-prosthesis mismatch and its effect on survival in patients with impaired ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND How best to define patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) continues to be debated. Over time, the indexed effective orifice area has become the most widely used method. However, the clinical relevance of PPM remains controversial. METHODS The indexed geometric orifice area and indexed effective orifice area were calculated for 143 patients having undergone aortic valve replacement with a normal left ventricular function 0.45 or less. Using the indexed geometric orifice area method, PPM was defined as nonsignificant if 1.2 cm(2)/m(2) or greater and as significant if less than 1.2 cm(2)/m(2). Using the indexed effective orifice area method, PPM was considered as nonsignificant if greater than 0.85 cm(2)/m(2), as moderate if greater than 0.65 cm(2)/m(2) and less than or equal to 0.85 cm(2)/m(2), and as severe PPM if 0.65 cm(2)/m(2) or less. RESULTS The number of patients classified as having PPM differed according to the method used to predict its presence (PPM: Effective orifice area method = 72.7%; geometric method = 19.6%). Regardless of the method used to classify PPM there was no significant effect on mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.65 at 1 year, 0.99 at 5 years, 0.92 at 9 years; p = not significant). The postoperative mean transvalvular gradient (17.1 ± 6.5 mm Hg) and left ventricular function (0.50 ± 0.145) improved significantly compared with the preoperative findings. CONCLUSIONS The method used to calculate PPM resulted in significant classification discordance. However, regardless of classification, the presence of PPM did not adversely affect long-term outcome.