Surgical External Iliac Artery Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Is a Safe, Suitable Alternative to Common Femoral Artery Access

Background Many patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have peripheral artery disease necessitating surgical access. This study reviews the preoperative risk factors, procedural characteristics, and outcomes in patients undergoing surgical common femoral artery (CFA) and external iliac artery (EIA) access through a retro-inguinal groin incision for TAVR. Methods A single-center TAVR database was retrospectively analyzed for patients undergoing surgical cutdown (January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2020). Access sites were evaluated on preoperative imaging. Data on demographics, imaging, procedural characteristics, and outcomes were collected. The vascular surgeon selected the cutdown site. Results A hundred and thirty TAVR patients had surgical cutdown. The choice of access site was either the common femoral artery (82 patients, 63%) or the iliac artery (48 patients, 37%). There was no difference in age, BMI, or medical risk factors. There was no difference in iliac diameter or circumferential iliac calcium. In the iliac group, there was a smaller mean CFA size and a higher incidence of circumferential CFA calcium. In the femoral group, there was: a lower mean sheath-to-CFA ratio, a trend toward increased unplanned endarterectomy, and a higher incidence of 30-day readmission. There was no difference in adjunct procedure use. Conclusion EIA surgical access had similar complication rates and length of stay with a reduced tendency for unplanned endarterectomy when compared to CFA access. The EIA is a suitable access site for TAVR in select patients.