The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (12): 2091-2097.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2026.12.001

• Perioperative Management and Critical Care Support •    

Prognostic value of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding International Normalized Ratio(MELD-XI) score for long-term all-cause mortality in elderly patients following cardiac valve surgery

Wenqing ZHAO,Liuyuan LI,Chongjian ZHANG,Hailong QIU,Xiaofeng LI()   

  1. Department of Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit,Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences,Southern Medical University,Guangzhou 510080,Guangdong,China
  • Received:2026-03-13 Online:2026-06-25 Published:2026-06-30
  • Contact: Xiaofeng LI E-mail:lixiaofeng@gdph.org.cn

Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding International Normalized Ratio (MELD-XI) score for long-term all-cause mortality in elderly patients after cardiac valve surgery. Methods This retrospective study incorporated 263 elderly patients (aged ≥ 65 years) who underwent cardiac valve surgery at the hospital between January and December 2013. The MELD-XI score was computed based on the preoperative levels of total bilirubin and serum creatinine, and the long-term survival status was acquired. Patients were classified into a low-score group (≤ 11.82) and a high-score group (> 11.82) according to the optimal cut-off value determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze the association between the MELD-XI score and long-term mortality, which was validated by Kaplan-Meier survival curves and subgroup analysis. Results Over a median follow-up period of 7.9 years, 60 patients passed away. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that for every 1-point increment in the MELD-XI score, there was a 9% rise in the mortality risk (HR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.03 - 1.16, P = 0.002 4). The high-score group exhibited a significantly greater mortality risk when compared to the low-score group (HR = 2.36, 95%CI: 1.29 - 4.35, P = 0.005 6). Subgroup analysis revealed a consistent predictive value among patients with different clinical characteristics (all interaction P-values > 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves verified a significantly higher cumulative mortality in the high-score group (Log-rank P = 0.000 52). Conclusion The preoperative MELD-XI score serves as an independent predictor of the long-term mortality risk in elderly patients following cardiac valve surgery, where higher scores are indicative of a poorer prognosis.

Key words: model for end-stage liver disease-excluding international normalized ratio, valvular heart disease, cardiac valve surgery, prognosis

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