Project description:BackgroundAortic stenosis is the most frequently acquired native valve disease. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as a transformative intervention for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Despite its success, studies have shed light on racial and ethnic disparities in utilization and outcomes of TAVR.MethodsUsing the Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry between November 2011 through June 2023, we evaluated volume trends of SAPIEN balloon-expandable TAVR performed by race/ethnicity, and its association with in-hospital and 1-year outcomes after the procedure.ResultsIn the 12-year period, 395,618 patients were identified; 357,729 (90.42%) were White, 18,810 (4.75%) Hispanic, 15,100 (3.82%) Black, and 3979 (1.01%) Asian. There was an overall rising trend in proportional usage of TAVR among Hispanics (from 3.3% in 2011/2012 to 5.2% in 2023, P < .01) and Asian patients (from 1.1% in 2011/2012 to 1.3% in 2023, P < .01). Adjusted 1-year major adverse cardiac events (all-cause mortality, stroke, or rehospitalization) were comparable among Black patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.97-1.03; P = .82) and lower among Asian (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97; P < .01) and Hispanic patients (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.86-0.91; P < .01) compared with White patients.ConclusionsEvidence supports favorable outcomes across different ethnic groups, despite the presence of higher levels of comorbidities and lower TAVR utilization. Modest improvements in TAVR utilization disparities among Asian and Hispanic patients have occurred since its introduction; however, utilization in Black patients remains low despite favorable outcomes. Further efforts are needed to understand the reasons and mitigate disparities in minority patients.
Project description:BackgroundCoronary obstruction during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a rare, yet life-threatening, complication. The routine use of left main (LM) protection with or without stent placement in high-risk patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of LM protection during TAVR and identify anatomic factors associated with need for stent placement.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all TAVR cases (native and valve-in-valve) performed in our institution between 2014 and 2019 and identified patients who underwent LM protection with a coronary wire, balloon, and/or stent during the procedure. We compared the pre-TAVR computed tomography aortic root characteristics, procedural data, short-, and long-term outcomes among the patients who eventually received an LM stent and those who did not.ResultsAmong 1925 TAVR patients, 41 (2.1%) underwent LM protection, and 10 of them (25%) had eventually a stent placed in the LM for threatened obstruction after valve deployment. In the native TAVR group (n = 35), 8 patients underwent LM stenting. A larger TAVR prosthesis, larger annular circumference (83.8 vs 76.1 mm; P = .038), lower ratio of sinotubular junction diameter to prosthesis size (1.02 vs 1.11; P = .032), and longer left coronary cusp (15.1 vs 13.9 mm; P = .18) were associated with higher incidence of LM stenting. In the valve-in-valve TAVR group (n = 6), 5 patients had a valve-to-coronary distance of less than 4 mm, and 2 of them received an LM stent. Both stent and nonstent groups had excellent outcomes with no major adverse cardiovascular events or coronary obstruction at 30 days. After a median follow-up of 351 days, 4 patients died (9.7%) (1 in the stent and 3 in the nonstent group), without any cases of late coronary obstruction or percutaneous coronary intervention in either group.ConclusionsLM protection with a coronary guidewire, balloon, or stent is a safe and effective method of coronary protection during TAVR in appropriately selected high-risk patients. Annular circumference, prosthesis size, left coronary cusp length, LM ostial height, and ratio of sinotubular junction to prosthesis size are important predictors of stent deployment.
Project description:Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using a balloon-expandable valve is an accepted alternative to surgical replacement for severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis in high risk or inoperable patients. Intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) offers real-time imaging guidance throughout the procedure and allows for rapid and accurate assessment of complications and procedural results. The value of intraprocedural TEE for TAVR will likely increase in the future as this procedure is performed in lower surgical risk patients, who also have lower risk for general anesthesia, but a greater expectation of optimal results with lower morbidity and mortality. This imaging compendium from the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) trials is intended to be a comprehensive compilation of intraprocedural complications imaged by intraprocedural TEE and diagnostic tools to anticipate and/or prevent their occurrence.
Project description:An 85-year-old female with severe aortic valve stenosis presented with heart failure complicated with cardiogenic shock and was found to have a right coronary cusp sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. We report the first case of successful exclusion of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm during transcatheter aortic valve replacement using a balloon-expandable valve. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Project description:BACKGROUND:Transaxillary access (TAx) has shown promise as an excellent alternative TAVR option, but data on the Edwards SAPIEN 3 in TAx-TAVR is limited. We sought to study the safety and efficacy of TAx-TAVR using this current-generation balloon-expandable valve. METHODS:A retrospective study of our first 24 TAx and 20 transthoracic (TT) TAVR patients treated with the SAPIEN 3 valve was performed, and the patients' preoperative characteristics, procedural outcomes, and clinical outcomes were compared to our first 100 transfemoral (TF) patients using the SAPIEN 3 device. RESULTS:There were no statistical differences observed for outcomes between the TAx and TF groups, despite the TAx patients having more comorbidities (STS-PROM 11.3?±?7.6 versus 7.3?±?5.2, p?=?0.042). In addition, no significant difference was found in the fluoroscopy time and contrast amount between the two groups. The patients' baseline characteristics were similar between the TAx and TT groups. Their procedural and clinical outcomes were comparable, but there was a trend towards lower incidence of acute kidney injury (13.0% versus 23.5%), new-onset atrial fibrillation (5.6% versus 33.3%), shorter median length of stay postoperatively (4 versus 6?days), fewer discharges to rehabilitation (16.7% versus 35.0%), and a lower rate of readmission within 30-days (8.3% versus 35.0%), all favoring TAx access. CONCLUSIONS:TAx-TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve is a safe alternative to TF access. It offers advantages of improved recovery over TT access, and appears to be a superior alternative-access option for TAVR. TAx access could be preferred when TF access is not feasible.
Project description:We present the case of an 82-year-old man whose left coronary ostium became obstructed 15 months after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a balloon-expandable valve. The patient underwent TAVR for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis with no complications. Fifteen months after the initial TAVR, the patient complained of chest pain while exercising, and the exercise stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy demonstrated the development of regional myocardial ischemia in the region of the left coronary artery. Coronary angiography implied severe stenosis in the ostium of the left coronary artery. Computed tomography angiography and intravascular ultrasonography indicated a soft tissue component along with stent struts, which was considered to cause delayed coronary obstruction. Our report emphasizes the importance of having a low threshold for clinically suspecting delayed coronary obstruction in patients who have undergone TAVR, even after several years of the procedure. <Learning objective:Delayed coronary obstruction (DCO) should be suspected in patients presenting with new ischemic symptoms after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). DCO may occur even in the case of TAVR with a balloon-expandable prosthetic valve, on antithrombotic regimens, and several years after the initial procedure.>.
Project description:Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as a life-saving and effective alternative to surgical valve replacement in high-risk, elderly patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis. Despite its early promise, certain limitations and adverse events, such as suboptimal placement and valve migration, have been reported. In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of various TAVR deployment locations on the procedural outcome by assessing the risk for valve migration. The deployment of a balloon-expandable Edwards SAPIEN valve was simulated via finite element analysis in a patient-specific calcified aortic root, which was reconstructed from CT scans of a retrospective case of valve migration. The deployment location was parametrized in three configurations and the anchorage was quantitatively assessed based on the contact between the stent and the native valve during the deployment and recoil phases. The proximal deployment led to lower contact area between the native leaflets and the stent which poses higher risk for valve migration. The distal and midway positions resulted in comparable outcomes, with the former providing a slightly better anchorage. The approach presented might be used as a predictive tool for procedural planning in order to prevent prosthesis migration and achieve better clinical outcomes.
Project description:Background The incidence of conduction abnormalities requiring permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with early and later generation prostheses remains debated. Methods and Results Based on the administrative hospital-discharge database, we collected information for all patients treated with TAVR between 2010 and 2019 in France. We compared the incidence of PPI after TAVR according to the type and generation of valve implanted. A total of 49 201 patients with aortic stenosis treated with TAVR using the balloon-expandable (BE) Edwards SAPIEN valve (early Sapien XT and latest Sapien 3) or the self-expanding (SE) Medtronic CoreValve (early CoreValve and latest Evolut R) were found in the database. Mean (SD) follow-up was 1.2 (1.5 years) (median [interquartile range] 0.6 [0.1-2.0] years). PPI after the procedure was reported in 13 289 patients, among whom 11 010 (22.4%) had implantation during the first 30 days. In multivariable analysis, using early BE TAVR as reference, adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for PPI during the first 30 days was 0.88 (0.81-0.95) for latest BE TAVR, 1.40 (1.27-1.55) for early SE TAVR, and 1.17 (1.07-1.27) for latest SE TAVR. Compared with early BE TAVR, the adjusted hazard ratio for PPI during the whole follow-up was 1.01 (0.95-1.08) for latest BE TAVR, 1.30 (1.21-1.40) for early SE TAVR, and 1.25 (1.18-1.34) for latest SE TAVR. Conclusions In patients with aortic stenosis treated with TAVR, our systematic analysis at a nationwide level found higher rates of PPI than previously reported. BE technology was independently associated with lower incidence rates of PPI both at the acute and chronic phases than SE technology. Recent generations of TAVR were not independently associated with different rates of PPI than early generations during the overall follow-up.
Project description:Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) remains challenging in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) because of unfavorable anatomy. New-generation balloon-expandable valve (BEV) appears to be a valid alternative to surgery, especially in some Asian countries with a higher prevalence of BAV. This tutorial review summarizes current thinking about how to plan and implant BEV in BAVs using versatile techniques. First, the authors depict the main morphological characteristics of BAVs and their effects on the TAVR procedure. Next, the authors provide preprocedural analysis on sizing, obtaining the optimal deployment projection, and how to simplify valve-crossing. Finally, the authors provide step-by-step guidance on how to deploy the BEVs with evolved iterations in terms of specific anatomies, calcified annulus, and giant annulus.
Project description:We present the case of a 71-year-old man who experienced congestive cardiac failure after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with a balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve. Echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography demonstrated an aorto-right ventricular fistula, and successful percutaneous closure was performed with a vascular plug. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).