Background: Paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PVAR) remains a frequent postprocedural concern following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Persistence of flow turbulence results in the cleavage of high-molecular-weight von Willebrand multimers, primary haemostasis dysfunction and may favour bleedings. Recent data have emphasized the value of a point-of-care measure of von Willebrand factor-dependent platelet function (closure time [CT] adenosine diphosphate [ADP]) in the monitoring of immediate PVAR. This study examined whether CT-ADP could detect PVAR at 30 days and bleeding complications following TAVR.
Methods: CT-ADP was assessed at baseline and the day after the procedure. At 30 days, significant PVAR was defined as a circumferential extent of regurgitation more than 10% by transthoracic echocardiography. Events at follow-up were assessed according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 consensus classification.
Results: Significant PVAR was diagnosed in 44 out of 219 patients (20.1%). Important reduction of CT-ADP could be found in patients without PVAR, contrasting with the lack of CT-ADP improvement in significant PVAR patients. By multivariate analysis, CT-ADP > 180 seconds (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5-10.6; p < 0.001) and a self-expandable valve were the sole independent predictors of 30-day PVAR. At follow-up, postprocedural CT-ADP >180 seconds was identified as an independent predictor of major/life-threatening bleeding (HR: 1.7, 95% CI [1.0-3.1]; p = 0.049). Major/life-threatening bleedings were at their highest levels in patients with postprocedural CT-ADP > 180 seconds (35.2 vs. 18.8%; p = 0.013).
Conclusion: Postprocedural CT-ADP > 180 seconds is an independent predictor of significant PVAR 30 days after TAVR and may independently contribute to major/life-threatening bleedings.
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.