Early Mortality Following Mitral Valve Surgery in Patients With Rheumatic Heart Disease and Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains highly prevalent in Yemen, often presenting with advanced mitral valve lesions and pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, prospective data on early postoperative outcomes, including 3-month mortality, are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative PH severity and 3-month outcomes following mitral valve surgery for RHD in Yemen. Methods: A prospective observational study was performed on 134 adult patients with RHD who were undergoing mitral valve surgery at the Cardiovascular and Kidney Transplantation Center, Taiz, Yemen (January 2022–August 2024). Patients were stratified according to preoperative systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) into Group I (