Racial Disparities in Access to High-Volume Mitral Valve Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair Centers

BackgroundSevere mitral regurgitation is a progressive disease associated with high morbidity and mortality, frequent readmissions for heart failure. Surgical valve repair or replacement has been the gold-standard treatment; however, advances in transcatheter edge-to-edge (TEER) have provided alternatives high-risk surgical patients. There are no data on racial disparities access to high-volume TEER centers.MethodsData hospitalizations from New York, Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Florida were analyzed using State Inpatient Databases 2016. The baseline characteristics of patients who underwent at high- (?25 procedures per year) low-volume centers identified. association between race likelihood undergoing was assessed. secondary outcomes mortality frequency home discharges.ResultsOf 1567 included analysis, 1129 centers. Patients treated had higher prevalence chronic kidney congestive Black Hispanic 59% (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.41; P < .001) 51% OR, 0.49; less likely undergo centers, respectively, compared White 3 times more die during index admission than 3.32; = .027). geographic clustering minority zip codes centers.ConclusionsRacial minorities patients, particularly experience rates in-hospital after