NEW ORLEANS – The question of when a study is a failure is at times entirely in the eyes of the beholder. However, a study unveiled in the Crescent City suggests that echocardiography cannot distinguish which patients will benefit most from the Mitraclip device for secondary mitral valve regurgitation. At the same time, a secondary study that looked at quality-of-life issues provided a supportive context for the device vs. medical management – an increasingly important consideration as physicians, regulators and device makers move deeper into this era of personalized medicine.