Gender Differences in Long-Term Survival of Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Mitral Valve Operations

In this large comparative study of gender differences in mitral valve operations, elderly women had higher operative mortality and lower long-term survival. These differences appeared to be driven largely because women present for mitral valve operations later in the disease process. Mitral repair appeared to restore normal life expectancy for men but not for women. Future studies should examine the factors that influence physician referral to mitral valve operations for men and women.