Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis in Low-, Intermediate-, and High-Risk Patients: Preliminary Results From a Prospective Multicenter Registry

Objective: To evaluate current results of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) ± coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Design: Independent, multicenter, prospective registry.

Setting: Tertiary university hospitals.

Participants: The study comprised 1,192 consecutive patients, stratified as low-, intermediate-, and high-risk according to EuroSCORE II (<4, 4-9, >9, respectively).

Interventions: SAVR ± coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Measurements and main results: Thirty-day mortality and major morbidity, 2-year actuarial survival and freedom from stroke, and independent predictors of mortality in each risk category were assessed. These data were considered in light of published randomized controlled trials. Thirty-day mortality was 1.0%, 3.0% and 2.1% in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients, with a 2-year actuarial survival of 98.6%, 93.8%, and 94.0%, respectively. Preoperative atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR] 8.3), minithoracotomy access (OR 5.8), postoperative dialysis (OR 3.4), type V acute myocardial infarction (OR 20.4), and moderate aortic regurgitation (OR 28.8) predicted 30-day mortality in the low-risk group. Preoperative dialysis (OR 18.3), critical state (OR 36.7), postoperative transfusions of plasma (OR 1.9 per unit transfused), and de-novo dialysis (OR 6.2) predicted 30-day mortality in the intermediate-risk group. Prior cardiac surgery (OR 18.1), postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (OR 9.8), and gastrointestinal complications (OR 17.2) predicted 30-day mortality in the high-risk group. Although baseline differences existed, low-risk patients demonstrated low 30-day mortality and 30-day to 12-month stroke in light of the PARTNER 3 and EVOLUT Low Risk trial results. Intermediate-risk patients demonstrated low 30-day to 2-year mortality, when the PARTNER 2 trial was considered, and low 30-day to 2-year stroke, when the PARTNER 2 and SURTAVI trials were considered. High-risk patients showed low 30-day to 2-year mortality in light of the results of the PARTNER 1 and CoreValve US trials.

Conclusions: SAVR is still a safe and effective surgery for aortic stenosis regardless of risk category.