Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the results when the surgical concept of not accepting intraprocedural paravalvular leakage was applied for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
Background: The surgical strategy of conventional aortic valve replacement does not accept paraprosthetic leakage and requires immediate action to eliminate it. However, paravalvular leakage is the major concern after TAVI.
Methods: A total of 358 patients underwent transapical TAVI with balloon-expandable prostheses. The modified procedural strategy consisted of precise positioning of the prosthesis using a modified TAVI technique and immediate additional intraprocedural treatment to eliminate relevant paravalvular leakage.
Results: Balloon redilation of the transcatheter valve was performed in 18 patients (5%), and additional second valves were implanted in 13 (4%). At the end of the procedure, 186 patients (52%) had no paravalvular or transvalvular regurgitation. In the remaining 172 patients, paravalvular leakage was observed in 113 (32%), transvalvular leakage in 47 (13%), and both in 12 (3%). Leakage was trace in 88 patients (25%), mild in 82 (23%), and moderate in 2 (0.6%). Multivariate analysis identified male sex, New York Heart Association functional class IV, and no previous aortic valve replacement as predictors of post-procedural leakage. Cumulative survival was not dependent on post-procedural regurgitation rate. Overall mortality was 5 ± 1% at 30 days, 14 ± 2% at 6 months, 17 ± 2% at 1 year, and 33 ± 4% at 2 years.
Conclusions: The modified procedural strategy of transapical TAVI with a balloon-expandable prosthesis was associated with a low incidence of relevant prosthetic regurgitation.
Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.