Serial echocardiographic evaluation of the Perimount Magna Ease prosthesis

Background

The Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Magna Ease prosthesis (PME) represents the latest generation of stented bioprostheses used for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The aim of our study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome and hemodynamic performance of the prosthesis with a focus on the incidence and course of structural valve deterioration (SVD) by serial echocardiographic examinations.

Methods

SAVR with the PME was performed in 58 consecutive patients between 2007 and 2008. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed preoperatively, at discharge and annually during a 10-year follow-up at the German Heart Center Munich.

Results

Mean age at surgery was 62±14 years. At discharge (n=57), the overall mean pressure gradient (MPG) and effective orifice area (EOA) were 15.8±4.1 mmHg and 1.8±0.4 cm², respectively. Moderate patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) was present in 18 patients (32%) and severe PPM in 6 patients (11%) at discharge. Ten years following SAVR (n=33), the overall MPG was 16.6±7.3 mmHg and EOA was 1.3±0.4 cm².Thirty-day and late mortality was 2% (n=1) and 21% (n=12), respectively. Survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 94.7%±3.3%, 91.1%±4.1%, and 77.3%±5.9%, respectively. Freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 88.8%±4.7%. Ten years after PME implantation the cumulative incidence of any SVD, severe SVD, and bioprosthetic valve failure (BVF) was 25%±6%, 14%±5%, and 16%±5%, respectively.

Conclusions

The PME shows an excellent hemodynamic performance over the course of 10 years with development of clinically relevant SVD as late as 6 years post implant, and a 10-year incidence of severe SVD of 14%.

P913What can we expect after valve-in-valve procedures in failed transcatheter aortic valves?

Background/Purpose

With the growing use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), we need to determine if repeat TAVR (TAV-in-TAV) is comparable or even superior to surgical aortic valve replacement followed by TAVR (TAV-in-SAV). Although TAV-in-SAV procedures were shown to provide an almost complete sealing of paravalvular leakage at the expense of elevated gradients, data for TAV-in-TAV are lacking. Hence, we compared echocardiographic and clinical outcome in all TAV-in-TAV and TAV-in-SAV procedures in our institution between Oct. 2007 and July 2017.

Methods

130 consecutive valve-in-valve patients out of 2351 TAVR-patients were identified. 24 patients were excluded. Patient data were analysed from our prospectively collected, institutional database. 93% underwent routine out-patient follow-up at 12 months.

Results

75 TAV-in-SAV (75±8 years, male 60%; STS score 5.2±4.0%) and 31 TAV-in-TAV patients (78±8 years, male 65%; STS score 4.6±2.8%) formed the final study population. The type of TAV was similarly distributed in both groups (self-/balloon-expandable valves [%] 57/43 vs. 61/39) with transfemoral being the most frequent access site (68% vs. 87%). The mode of prosthesis failure was mainly stenosis in the TAV-in-SAV group (77%), whereas it was mainly intraoperative paravalvular regurgitation (90%) in the TAV-in-TAV group. 10% TAV-in-TAV patients (78±10 years, 33% male, STS score 5.1±1.5%) underwent redo-TAVR for prosthesis-degeneration after a mean time of 2614±862 days. The TAV-in-TAV group (90% single session vs. 10% staged: mean gradient 10±4 mmHg vs. 15±3 mmHg, p=0.096; aortic valve area 1.62±0.36 cm2 vs. 1.45±0.18 cm2, p=0.240) showed lower gradients and larger aortic valve areas (Table 1). No major intraprocedural complications occurred in either group. 30-day mortality was 0%.

Table 1 75 TAV-in-SAV discharge 31 TAV-in-TAV discharge p-value 69 TAV-in-SAV 12mFU 30 TAV-in-TAV 12mFU p-value AVA (cm2) * 1.18±0.32 1.61±0.35 <0.001† 1.21±0.36 1.63±0.43 <0.001† Peak Gradient (mmHg) 33±14 23±8 <0.001† 31±14 21±8 <0.001† Mean Gradient (mmHg) 19±8 12±5 <0.001† 18±9 11±4 <0.001† AR (0–3)** 0.4±0.5 0.8±0.7 0.003† 0.4±0.5 0.8±0.6 0.001† LV ejection fraction (%) 49±12 49±16 0.970 54±12 50±10 0.081 *AVA = Aortic valve area; **AR = Aortic regurgitation. 0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe. †p<0,05 significant.

Conclusion

Indications for TAV-in-TAV differ from those for TAV-in-SAV. TAV-in-TAV results in significantly lower gradients and larger aortic valve areas with no relevant aortic regurgitation. Accordingly, failed TAV valves may be treated with TAV-in-TAV in the future.

In-vivo bacterial adherence to intracardiac prosthetic materials: a new experimental model

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY

Bacterial colonization of inert artificial materials is a critical variable in the appearance of foreign body-centered infections. Hence, a new experimental endocarditis model was evaluated that enables quantitative in-vivo testing of bacterial adherence to prosthetic materials.

METHODS

In 53 rabbits, different patches of either Dacron (DAC; n = 16), glutaraldehyde-fixed pericardium (GAP; n = 18) or cryopreserved allograft (AG; n = 19) were threaded onto a Prolene suture and led through a stitch incision at the left atrium to the ventricle, perforating the mitral valve and leaving the heart at the outside of the left ventricle. The patch became caught in the valve tissue, creating mitral insufficiency. At 6 h after surgery, 6 x 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU) of Staphylococcus aureus were administered intravenously. Postmortem examination and further analysis were carried out 48 h after bacterial inoculation.

RESULTS

Ten animals (two DAC, four GAP, four AG) died and were excluded. Subsequently, sterile patches were found in 6/14 animals of the DAC group, in 9/14 of the GAP group, and in 9/15 of the AG group. The mean numbers of cultured organisms in the remaining patches were 2.3 x 10(6) + 7.6 x 10(6)/mg (DAC), 1.8 x 10(4)+/-6.7 x 10(4)/mg (GAP) and 4.9 x 10(5)+/-1.0 x 10(6) CFU/mg (AG). Differences in the number of CFU were not significant for all groups.

CONCLUSION

The above-described model allows reliable quantitative in-vivo testing of bacterial adherence to different prosthetic materials within a short time period. The results suggest that, with regard to avoiding the development of bacterial endocarditis, biomaterials have no advantage over Dacron.