A population-based analysis of robotic-assisted mitral valve repair.

Background. Robotic-assisted mitral valve repair is becoming more frequently performed in cardiac surgery. However, little is known about its utilization and safety at a national level. Methods. Patients undergoing mitral valve repair in the United States from 2008 to 2012 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample. Inhospital mortality, complications, length of stay, and cost for patients undergoing robotic-assisted mitral valve repair were compared with patients undergoing nonrobotic procedures. Results. We identified 50,408 isolated mitral valve repair surgeries, of which 3,145 were done with robotic assistance. In a propensity score matched analysis of 631 pairs of patients, we found no difference between patients undergoing robotic-assisted and nonrobotic-assisted mitral valve repair with respect to inhospital mortality, complications, or composite outcomes in unadjusted or multivariable analyses. Robotic-assisted mitral valve repair surgery was associated with a shorter median length of stay (4 versus 6 days, p < 0.001), and there was no difference in median total costs between the two procedures. Conclusions. In our analysis of a large national database with its inherent limitations, robotic-assisted mitral valve repair was found to be safe, with an acceptable morbidity and mortality profile. (C) 2015 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons