Factors That Prevent Progression to Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)

Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis With a Focus on Outcomes by Sex

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Women at increased surgical risk have been shown to have better outcomes with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as compared to surgical valve replacement (SAVR). With the scope of TAVI moving into low-surgical risk patients, we aimed to update the current literature to include the new low-risk randomised controlled trial (RCT) data in investigating outcomes by sex.

METHODS

We systematically searched MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ClinicalTrials.gov and reference lists for relevant RCTs comparing TAVI to SAVR published prior to 4 May 2020. Data extraction was performed by two independent authors and included trial design details, baseline characteristics and outcome data stratified by sex. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. Quantitative synthesis of pooled data was performed using Mantel-Haenszel fixed or random effects model. Q-statistic and the I² test were used for assessment of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Our search yielded eight RCTs included in the final quantitative synthesis. The overall pooled cohort was 8,040, of whom 41.4% were female. Women had significantly lower rates of one-year all-cause mortality (12.2% vs 17.7%, pooled OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.40-0.86) and one-year composite endpoint (9.7% vs 12.4%, pooled OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.92) with TAVI as compared to SAVR. The selective mortality benefit with TAVI over SAVR in women did not persist to 5 years (pooled HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.87-1.17). At 30 days, women demonstrated lower rates of major bleeding and acute kidney injury following TAVI compared to SAVR. For men, these outcomes were similar regardless of type of intervention. Both sexes were at increased risk of major vascular complications with TAVI as compared to SAVR, however women demonstrated nearly double the odds of major vascular complication with TAVI compared to men.

CONCLUSION

Our updated meta-analysis demonstrates that at one-year women undergoing TAVI have significantly lower mortality and better safety outcomes compared to those undergoing SAVR. These benefits are not seen in men. In the new low-risk era, these results are ever more important for guiding appropriate patient selection.

Coronary Artery Disease Assessed by Computed Tomography-Based Leaman Score in Patients With Low-Risk Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

We aimed to evaluate the burden of coronary artery disease (CAD) using the computed tomography (CT) Leaman score in low-risk transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients. The extent of CAD in low-risk patients with aortic stenosis who are candidates for TAVI has not been accurately quantified. The CT Leaman score was developed to quantify coronary CT angiography (CCTA) atherosclerotic burden and has been validated to evaluate the extent of CAD. CT Leaman score >5 has been associated with an increase in major adverse cardiac events over long-term follow-up. The study population included patients enrolled in the Low Risk TAVI trial who underwent CCTA before the procedure. For the CT Leaman score, we used 3 sets of weighting factors: (1) location of coronary plaques, (2) type of plaque, and (3) degree of stenosis. A total of 200 patients were enrolled in the Low Risk TAVI trial. Excluded were 31 patients who had no analyzable CCTA imaging. For the remaining 169 patients, the mean CT Leaman score was 6.27 ± 0.27, of whom 102 (60.4%) had CT Leaman score >5. Nearly all analyzed patients (97%) had coronary plaques. Furthermore, 33 patients (19.5%) had potentially obstructive coronary plaques (>50% stenosis by CCTA) in proximal segments. Most low-risk TAVI patients have significant CAD burden by CCTA. It should be a priority for future TAVI devices to guarantee unimpeded access to the coronary arteries for selective angiography and interventions.