Anticoagulation After Isolated Mitral Valve Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Outcomes

Recommendations from international guidelines on optimal thromboprophylaxis after mitral repair are controversial and based on underpowered observational studies. This study aimed to evaluate the prophylactic use of warfarin after isolated mitral valve repair (MVr). A PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus search for studies in English on postoperative thromboprophylaxis for isolated MVr published to February 2020 was performed. The analysis excluded all studies with combined operations, mitral valve replacement and preoperative or postoperative atrial fibrillation. Clinical endpoints that were studied were thromboembolic events, bleeding complications and mortality. Random effects meta-analyses of the effect of postoperative warfarin use as compared with no warfarin use across all clinical endpoints was conducted. Warfarin use did not confer benefit in terms of thromboembolic prophylaxis after isolated MVr in patients without atrial fibrillation (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.72–1.31). At the same time, it did not increase the risk of bleeding complications (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.53–2.30) or affect overall survival during the follow-up period of the included studies (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.28–4.05). To conclude, warfarin use is not necessary for patients after isolated MVr who remain in sinus rhythm. Recommendations from international guidelines may need to be revisited for this group of patients.