Economic Analysis and Long-term Follow-up of Distant Referral for Degenerative Mitral Valve Repair

BackgroundDespite the superiority of mitral valve repair (MVr) over replacement for degenerative disease, repair rates vary widely across centers. Traveling to a mitral reference center (MRC) is 1 way to increase the odds of MVr. This study assessed the economic value (quality/cost) and long-term outcomes of distant referral to an MRC.MethodsAmong 746 mitral surgery patients between January 2011 and June 2013, low-risk patients with an ejection...