What?
Heart surgery to repair the mitral valve of the heart is a very commonly performed surgery. A common way to get access to the heart in order to perform this surgery is by cutting open the breastbone. This procedure is called a sternotomy.
The mitral valve can also be repaired by surgery that involves a much smaller cut on the side of the chest. This is called a mini thoracotomy. The Mini Mitral Trial aims to determine which type of surgery allows patients to get back to their normal activities the soonest.
How?
400 patients requiring a mitral valve repair will be recruited over four years for this trial. A computer will decide which type of surgery each patient will have in order to avoid any bias.
Patients will answer questions before their surgery about their quality of life and activity levels. Patients will have an ECG 12 weeks and 12 months after their surgery to check how well their valve is working and their activity levels will be monitored using a wrist watch device on several occasions post surgery.
All this data will be compared to determine which surgery allows patients to return to their normal activities the soonest.
Chief investigator
Mr Enoch Akowuah
Current status
Recruitment complete
Participating sites
South Tees Hospitals NHS FT, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS FT, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS FT, King’s College Hospital NHS FT, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS FT, NHS Lothian, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS FT, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS FT, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.