Background: Owner-perceived quality of life (QoL) is important in dogs with advanced heart disease. The effect of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) on QoL is unknown. Hypothesis/
Objectives: Quality of life as determined by the Functional EvaluaTion of Cardiac Health (FETCH) questionnaire and biochemical parameters will improve following TEER of the mitral valve. Animals: Thirty-seven client-owned dogs undergoing TEER at two centers.
Methods: Dogs were prospectively enrolled after obtaining informed consent. Owners completed a FETCH questionnaire with mean weekly respiratory rate (RR) and cough frequency at baseline, 2-4 weeks (recheck 1) and 2-4 months (recheck 2) post TEER. Baseline NT-proBNP and serum biochemistry values were compared between timepoints. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and at recheck 2. Preliminary results were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test (between 2 time points) or Friedman test (between 3 timepoints); Spearman correlations were used to test potential associations between echocardiographic measurements and FETCH scores.
Results: FETCH scores improved from baseline at recheck 1 (P=0.04) and recheck 2 (P=0.02; overall P< 0.001; n=20). TEER resulted in smaller left ventricular internal dimension in diastole (LVIDdN; n=21, P=.001) and left atrium to aorta ratio (LA:Ao; n=21, P=.01). LVIDdN and LA:Ao were positively correlated with FETCH scores at recheck 2 (r=.75, P<.001; r=.67, P=.002, respectively). Respiratory rate decreased following TEER (P=.001, n=19). Serum potassium remained within the reference range but increased over time (P <.001, n=14). NT-proBNP results are pending. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Cardiac health-related QoL, RR, and left heart dimensions were improved after TEER with the canine V-Clamp device.
