[Results of aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis associated with severe left ventricular dysfunction]

The operative risk of aortic valve replacement (AVR) due to tight aortic stenosis (AS) associated with severe left ventricular dysfunction is high. Several risk factors for postoperative mortality have been described, but most of the reported case series are heterogeneous. This study aimed to analyze the postoperative results of AVR in patients with isolated tight AS associated with severe left ventricular dysfunction and to identify predictive factors of in-hospital mortality. We conducted a retrospective study of 46 patients with tight AS associated with severe left ventricular dysfunction who had undergone AVR. The average age was 59±12.70 years. 69.6% of patients were in NYHA Class III or IV. Mean EF was 32.3 ± 5.3%, and mean EuroScore was 12.20 ± 8.70. In-hospital mortality accounted for 15.20%. Morbidity was mainly marked by low cardiac output in 35% of cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that renal insufficiency (OR= 11.94, CI [2.65-72.22], p= 0.03) and congestive cardiac failure (OR= 25.33, CI [3.43-194.74], p= 0.009) were related to the risk of in-hospital mortality. Thirty-nine surviving patients were followed up for an average of 59.6± 21 months. Late mortality accounted for 5%. The functional status had significantly improved. EF increased, on average, by 5.5 units in early postoperative period and by 18 units in late postoperative period. In the long term, end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters were reduced by an average of 8 and 9 mm, respectively. The results of AVR due to tight AS associated with severe left ventricular dysfunction are satisfactory. Congestive heart failure and preoperative renal failure are the main risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Patient's outcome is marked by reduction in end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters of the left ventricle with improvement of the EF and of their functional status.

Procedural and 30-day outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation using the third generation (18 Fr) corevalve revalving system: results from the multicentre, expanded evaluation registry 1-year following CE mark approval

AIMS

To describe the procedural performance and 30-day outcomes following implantation using the 18 Fr CoreValve Revalving System (CRS) as part of the multicentre, expanded evaluation registry, 1-year after obtaining CE mark approval.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and logistic Euroscore > or =15%, or age > or =75 years, or age > or =65 years associated with pre-defined risk factors, and for whom a physician proctor and a clinical specialist were in attendance during the implantation and who collected the clinical data, were included. From April 2007, to April 2008, 646 patients with a mean age of 81 +/- 6.6 years, mean aortic valve area 0.6 +/- 0.2 cm2, and logistic EuroSCORE of 23.1 +/- 13.8% were recruited. After valve implantation, the mean transaortic valve gradient decreased from 49.4 +/- 13.9 to 3 +/- 2 mmHg. All patients had paravalvular aortic regurgitation < or = grade 2. The rate of procedural success was 97%. The procedural mortality rate was 1.5%. At 30 days, the all-cause mortality rate (i.e, including procedural) was 8% and the combined rate of death, stroke and myocardial infarction was 9.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrate the high rate of procedural success and a low 30-day mortality in a large cohort of high-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the CRS.