Right ventricular dysfunction before transcatheter aortic valve implantation: incidence, predictive factors and prognostic impact

Background

Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is considered to be a late marker of advanced aortic stenosis (AS) and is associated with poor prognosis. Currently. there are conflicting data on the impact of RVD on clinical outcomes in patients with severe AS treated with TAVI. Moreover, few studies have studied the evolution (recovery or persistence) of RVD and its prognostic impact.

Objectives

To assess the incidence and predictive factors of RVD before TAVI, its prognostic impact and its evolution after TAVI.

Methods

All patients treated with TAVI for severe AS were included in a prospective single center database. Only patients who had a quantitative assessment of RV including Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and/or doppler tissue imaging-derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (S') measurements, were eligible to this study. RVD was defined by a TAPSE <17 mm or S' <9.5 cm/s if TAPSE was not available.

Results

Between May 2014 and April 2019, 503 patients with RV function evaluation were included. Incidence of RVD before TAVI was 18.7%. Predictors of RVD were diabetes (P=0.03), atrial fibrillation (P=0.001), altered left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.0001), left ventricular dilatation (P=0.007), and previous cardiac surgery (P=0.002). Long-term survival was altered in patients with RVD before TAVI as compared to those without RVD (HR 1.97, 95% CI: 1.1–3.4, P=0.01). One year after TAVI, 58.7% of patients with baseline RVD had a normal RV function and had similar outcome as compared to those without RVD at baseline. In contrast, patients with persistent RVD had the worst prognosis.

Conclusions

RVD is not rare and has a deleterious prognostic impact in patients treated by TAVI. Recovery of normal RV function is frequent after TAVI whereas persistence of RVD is associated with poor outcomes.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Standardized Measurement of Femoral Artery Depth by Computed Tomography to Predict Vascular Complications After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Vascular complications (VCs) are difficult to predict and remain an important issue after transfemoral (TF) transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) although their incidence has decreased with size reduction of introducers. We aimed to evaluate a standardized measurement of femoral artery depth (FAD) using computed tomography (CT) to predict VCs after TAVI. We performed a retrospective study of 679 TF TAVI patients. We evaluated a standardized CT method to measure FAD immediately above the bifurcation. Sheath-to-femoral-artery ratio (SFAR), calcification, and tortuosity were also evaluated. VCs were defined by the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict major VCs and the need for a stent-graft. The median values of FAD and SFAR were 49.0 (36.2 to 66.7) mm and 0.95 (0.81 to 1.18), respectively. Major VCs occurred in 37 (5.4%) patients and a stent-graft was required in 49 (7.1%) patients. FAD predicted the need for a stent-graft [0.61 (0.51 to 0.70), p = 0.04] but not major VCs [0.52 (0.40 to 0.63), p = 0.76]. In contrast, SFAR did not predict the need for a stent-graft [0.53 (0.43 to 0.62), p = 0.61] but predicted major VCs [0.70 (0.58 to 0.81), p = 0.001]. Calcification and tortuosity predicted neither major VCs nor the need for a stent-graft. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that CT measurements of FAD and SFAR provide additional information to predict major VCs and the need for a femoral stent-graft after TF TAVI.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement After Surgical Repair or Replacement

Background:

Mitral valve-in-valve (ViV) and valve-in-ring (ViR) are alternatives to surgical reoperation in patients with recurrent mitral valve failure after previous surgical valve repair or replacement. Our aim was to perform a large-scale analysis examining midterm outcomes after mitral ViV and ViR.

Methods:

Patients undergoing mitral ViV and ViR were enrolled in the Valve-in-Valve International Data Registry. Cases were performed between March 2006 and March 2020. Clinical endpoints are reported according to the Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium (MVARC) definitions. Significant residual mitral stenosis (MS) was defined as mean gradient ≥10 mm Hg and significant residual mitral regurgitation (MR) as ≥ moderate.

Results:

A total of 1079 patients (857 ViV, 222 ViR; mean age 73.5±12.5 years; 40.8% male) from 90 centers were included. Median STS-PROM score 8.6%; median clinical follow-up 492 days (interquartile range, 76–996); median echocardiographic follow-up for patients that survived 1 year was 772.5 days (interquartile range, 510–1211.75). Four-year Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 62.5% in ViV versus 49.5% for ViR ( P <0.001). Mean gradient across the mitral valve postprocedure was 5.7±2.8 mm Hg (≥5 mm Hg; 61.4% of patients). Significant residual MS occurred in 8.2% of the ViV and 12.0% of the ViR patients ( P =0.09). Significant residual MR was more common in ViR patients (16.6% versus 3.1%; P <0.001) and was associated with lower survival at 4 years (35.1% versus 61.6%; P =0.02). The rates of Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium–defined device success were low for both procedures (39.4% total; 32.0% ViR versus 41.3% ViV; P =0.01), mostly related to having postprocedural mean gradient ≥5 mm Hg. Correlates for residual MS were smaller true internal diameter, younger age, and larger body mass index. The only correlate for residual MR was ViR. Significant residual MS (subhazard ratio, 4.67; 95% CI, 1.74–12.56; P =0.002) and significant residual MR (subhazard ratio, 7.88; 95% CI, 2.88–21.53; P <0.001) were both independently associated with repeat mitral valve replacement.

Conclusions:

Significant residual MS and/or MR were not infrequent after mitral ViV and ViR procedures and were both associated with a need for repeat valve replacement. Strategies to improve postprocedural hemodynamics in mitral ViV and ViR should be further explored.

Assessment of long-term structural deterioration of transcatheter aortic bioprosthetic valves

Background

The durability of transcatheter aortic bioprosthetic valves is a crucial issue in the context of extension of indications in younger and lower-risk patients, but data are scarce, especially beyond 5 years of follow-up. This study sought to evaluate the incidence of structural valve degeneration (SVD) 5 to 10 years post-procedure.

Methods

Demographic, procedural, and in-hospital outcome data on patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) from 2002 to 2014 were obtained from our prospective institutional database. Patients in whom echocardiographic data were available both at baseline and 5 years post-TAVI were included. Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up were performed on site annually. Hemodynamic SVD was determined according to European task force committee guidelines.

Results

A total of 208 patients (82.5±7.6 years of age; 53% female) with paired post-procedure and late echocardiographic follow-up (median 5.3 years, range 5 to 11.4 years) were included. Eleven (5.3%) patients were treated with a self-expandable valve and 197 (94.7%) patients with a balloon-expandable valve. Mean aortic valve gradient and effective aortic valve area remained unchanged during follow-up. There were 2 cases (1.0%) of severe SVD 6 and 7 years after implantation requiring redo-TAVI. There were 4 cases (1.9%) of moderate SVD (mean 6.0 years post-implantation; range 5 to 7 years).

Conclusions

Our data do not demonstrate any alarm on transcatheter aortic valve durability. Careful prospective assessment in younger and lower risk patients and comparison with surgical bioprosthetic valves are required to further assess long-term durability of transcatheter valves.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None