Clinical Safety and Effectiveness of Endoaortic as Compared to Transthoracic Clamp for Small Thoracotomy Mitral Valve Surgery: Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Controversies remain on the increased rate of neurological events after small thoracotomy mitral valve surgery attributed to endoaortic balloon occlusion (EABO). Systematic literature search of databases identified 17 studies enrolling 6,643 patients comparing safety and effectiveness of EABO versus transthoracic clamp. In a meta-analysis, there was no difference in occurrence of cerebrovascular events, all-cause mortality, and kidney injury. EABO was associated with a significantly higher risk of iatrogenic aortic dissection (0.93% versus 0.13%; risk ratio, 4.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.62 to 13.49; p = 0.004) and a trend toward longer operative times. The data is limited to observational studies.