Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in obese patients: procedural vascular complications with the trans-femoral and trans-carotid access routes

Obesity and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Amidst an aging population and escalating obesity prevalence, elucidating the impact of obesity on transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes becomes paramount. The so-called "obesity paradox"-a term denoting the counterintuitive association of obesity, typically a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, with improved survival outcomes in TAVR patients relative to their leaner or normal-weight counterparts-merits rigorous examination. This review comprehensively investigates the complex relationship between obesity and the clinical outcomes associated with TAVR, with a specific focus on mortality and periprocedural complications. This study aims to deepen our understanding of obesity's role in TAVR and the underlying mechanisms of the obesity paradox, thereby optimizing management strategies for this patient demographic, tailored to their unique physiological and metabolic profiles.

Trans-femoral versus trans-carotid access for transcatheter aortic valve replacement: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: This meta-analysis aims to shed light on any primacy the trans-carotid (TC-TAVR) access may have over the trans-femoral access (TF-TAVR) for those undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched, from inception to March 2023 retrieving seven adjusted studies with a total of 6609 patients, of which 5048 underwent TF-TAVR while 1561 underwent TC-TAVR. Results: No divergence in risk of mortality, major bleeding or stroke/transient ischemic attack in TC-TAVR when compared with TF-TAVR was found. In TC-TAVR, the risk of vascular complications was low (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.32-0.83, p = 0.003) as compared with TF-TAVR. Conclusion: As of this analysis, the viability of TC-TAVR as first alternative to TF-TAVR is plausible.

Comparison of Alternative Peripheral and Transfemoral Approaches for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Meta-Analysis of Propensity-Matched Studies

Background. Transfemoral (TF) access is the gold standard for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Alternative peripheral (AP) artery access such as the carotid or axillary artery is considered when the feasibility of femoral access is in doubt. The outcomes comparison of these 2 approaches is unclear due to limited sample sizes in prior studies. Our aim is to compare the clinical outcomes of TF- and AP-TAVR by conducting a meta-analysis of propensity-matched studies. Methods. The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from inception up to and including February 2022 were searched by 3 separate researchers to identify articles reporting propensity-matched, comparative data on TF vs. AP-TAVR. Clinical outcomes were extracted from the articles and pooled for analysis. Results. Seven prior studies, including 9,004 patients, were included in our study, with 6,729 in the TF group and 2,275 in the AP group. In all studies, the baseline characteristics of the patients were highly propensity-matched with the full Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analysis revealed higher in-hospital/30-day mortality (3.3% vs. 4.4%; OR 0.69; 95% CI (0.51, 0.94); $P=0.02$ ) as well as the incidence of stroke (1.9% vs. 3.5%; OR 0.60; 95% CI (0.43, 0.84); $P=0.003$ ) for the AP group. There were no significant differences in the incidence of major vascular complications, pacemaker implantation, bleeding, or acute kidney injury. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis of propensity-matched studies showed AP-TAVR contains an additional 1.1% risk of early mortality and an additional 1.6% risk of stroke compared to TF-TAVR. These risks should be considered when deciding on access.

Feasibility of transcaval access TAVI in morbidly obese patients: A single-center experience

OBJECTIVES

We report a single-center experience in utilizing the transcaval-access transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as an alternative approach in morbidly obese patients.

BACKGROUND

Morbidly obese patients present frequently for TAVI. Transfemoral arterial access TAVI in these patients is technically challenging due to deep arterial access, resulting in a higher risk of vascular complications. Transcaval access TAVI is increasingly used in patients with prohibitive iliofemoral arterial access.

METHODS

We used the transcaval approach for eight morbidly obese patients who had otherwise technically feasible femoral arterial access. This technique provides an alternative arterial access point that potentially circumvents some of the challenges relating to femoral arterial access.

RESULTS

We report eight morbidly obese patients with a mean body mass index of 42.3 ± 6.2 kg/m² who underwent transcaval access TAVI at our center (mean EuroScore II 2.47 ± 1.83%). The patient mean age was 70.3 ± 9.8 years; six were female. All eight patients underwent a successful and uncomplicated procedure. The median time to discharge was 2 days and all patients were alive at 30 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Transcaval access TAVI is a feasible alternative for morbidly obese patients and may reduce vascular complications. Further data are required to evaluate the safety of this approach.

A Meta-Analysis on the Impact of High BMI in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

BACKGROUND

A paradoxical association of obesity with lower risk of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes has been reported. We aimed to systematically review the literature and compare TAVR-related morbidity and mortality among individuals with overweight or obesity and their peers with normal body mass index (BMI).

METHODS

PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched for studies reporting TAVR outcomes in different BMI groups. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for studies reporting hazard ratios (HR) and odds ratios/relative risks. Short- and mid-/long-term outcomes were examined.

RESULTS

26 studies with a total of 74,163 patients were included in our study. Overweight was associated with lower risk of short-term mortality (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.60-0.98) and mid-/long-term mortality (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70-0.89). Obesity was associated with lower risk for mid-/long-term mortality (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.73-0.86), but no difference was observed in short-term mortality, although a trend was noted (HR: 0.87l 95% CI: 0.74-1.01). Individuals with obesity demonstrated an association with higher odds of major vascular complications (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.05-1.68). Both overweight (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.03-1.30) and obesity (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.06-1.50) were associated with higher likelihood for receiving permanent pacemakers after TAVR.

CONCLUSION

Individuals with overweight and obesity were associated with lower mortality risk compared to those with normal BMI but with higher likelihood of major vascular complications and permanent pacemaker implantation after TAVR.