Quality of Life 5 Years Following Transfemoral TAVR or SAVR in Intermediate Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) sustain comparable improvements in health status over 5 years after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or SAVR. Whether a similar long-term benefit is observed among intermediate-risk AS patients is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess health status outcomes through 5 years in intermediate risk patients treated with a self-expanding TAVR prosthesis or SAVR using data from the SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial. METHODS: Intermediate-risk patients randomized to transfemoral TAVR or SAVR in the SURTAVI trial had disease-specific health status assessed at baseline, 30 days, and annually to 5 years using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). Health status was compared between groups using fixed effects repeated measures modelling. RESULTS: Of the 1,584 patients (TAVR, n = 805; SAVR, n = 779) included in the analysis, health status improved more rapidly after TAVR compared with SAVR. However, by 1 year, both groups experienced large health status benefits (mean change in KCCQ-Overall Summary Score (KCCQ-OS) from baseline: TAVR: 20.5 ± 22.4; SAVR: 20.5 ± 22.2). This benefit was sustained, albeit modestly attenuated, at 5 years (mean change in KCCQ-OS from baseline: TAVR: 15.4 ± 25.1; SAVR: 14.3 ± 24.2). There were no significant differences in health status between the cohorts at 1 year or beyond. Similar findings were observed in the KCCQ subscales, although a substantial attenuation of benefit was noted in the physical limitation subscale over time in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In intermediate-risk AS patients, both transfemoral TAVR and SAVR resulted in comparable and durable health status benefits to 5 years. Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms for the small decline in health status noted at 5 years compared with 1 year in both groups. (Safety and Efficacy Study of the Medtronic CoreValve® System in the Treatment of Severe, Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in Intermediate Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement [SURTAVI]; NCT01586910).

Comparative Outcomes of TAVR in Mixed Aortic Valve Disease and Aortic Stenosis: A Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a suitable alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS). A high proportion of patients with AS have mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD) with mild or more concurrent aortic regurgitation (AR). Differential outcomes of TAVR among patients with AS and MAVD have not been well characterized. We compared 1-year mortalities following TAVR among patients with MAVD and AS. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of studies published in PubMed/Medline. The primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality following TAVR among patients with MAVD vs. AS. Secondary endpoints were: (1) incidence of AR within 30 days following TAVR (post TAVR AR); and (2) 1-year all-cause mortality within each group stratified according to severity of post TAVR AR. RESULTS: Nine studies involving 9505 participants were included in the analysis. At 1 year following TAVR, mortality was lower in MAVD than in AS; HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.98. The mortality advantage increased when pre-TAVR AR was moderate or more; HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.99. The mortality advantage was attenuated after correction for publication bias. There was a higher risk of post TAVR AR in the MAVD group; OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.20-1.90 but the impact on mortality of moderate vs. mild post TAVR AR was greater among patients with AS than in patients with MAVD HR 1.67 95% CI 0.89-3.14 vs. 0.93 95% CI 0.47-1.85. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MAVD have similar or improved survival 1 year after TAVR compared to those with AS.

Impact of aortic valve replacement in symptomatic low-risk patients with less than severe aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement (TAVR or SAVR) affects clinical and haemodynamic outcomes in symptomatic patients with moderately-severe aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS: Echocardiographic evidence of severe AS for enrolment in the Evolut Low Risk trial was based on site-reported measurements. For this post hoc analysis, core laboratory measurements identified patients with symptomatic moderately-severe AS (1.0

3-Year Outcomes After Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients With Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Randomized data comparing outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with surgery in low-surgical risk patients at time points beyond 2 years is limited. This presents an unknown for physicians striving to educate patients as part of a shared decision-making process. OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluated 3-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes from the Evolut Low Risk trial. METHODS: Low-risk patients were randomized to TAVR with a self-expanding, supra-annular valve or surgery. The primary endpoint of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke and several secondary endpoints were assessed at 3 years. RESULTS: There were 1,414 attempted implantations (730 TAVR; 684 surgery). Patients had a mean age of 74 years and 35% were women. At 3 years, the primary endpoint occurred in 7.4% of TAVR patients and 10.4% of surgery patients (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.49-1.00; P = 0.051). The difference between treatment arms for all-cause mortality or disabling stroke remained broadly consistent over time: -1.8% at year 1; -2.0% at year 2; and -2.9% at year 3. The incidence of mild paravalvular regurgitation (20.3% TAVR vs 2.5% surgery) and pacemaker placement (23.2% TAVR vs 9.1% surgery; P < 0.001) were lower in the surgery group. Rates of moderate or greater paravalvular regurgitation for both groups were <1% and not significantly different. Patients who underwent TAVR had significantly improved valve hemodynamics (mean gradient 9.1 mm Hg TAVR vs 12.1 mm Hg surgery; P < 0.001) at 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Within the Evolut Low Risk study, TAVR at 3 years showed durable benefits compared with surgery with respect to all-cause mortality or disabling stroke. (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients; NCT02701283).

Functional Status After Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: 2-Year Analysis From the SURTAVI Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate patient-centered metrics in intermediate-surgical-risk aortic stenosis patients enrolled in the SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial treated with self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgery. BACKGROUND: Studies have shown TAVR to be an alternative to surgery in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis but have focused on "hard endpoints," including all-cause mortality and stroke, rather than on comparative patient-centered metrics, such as functional status and symptom burden. METHODS: The study analyzed functional status (6-minute walk test [6MWT]) and symptom burden (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire) in 1,492 patients from the SURTAVI trial at baseline, 30 days, 1 year, and 2 years. Patients were categorized by baseline functional status into tertiles of slow, medium, and fast walkers. RESULTS: Patients with lowest capacity baseline functional status were commonly women, had higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons scores, and had more New York Heart Association functional class III or IV symptoms; reduced baseline functional status was associated with higher aortic valve- and heart failure-related hospitalization at 2 years. There was greater improvement in 6MWT distance in TAVR compared with surgery patients at 30 days (P < 0.001) and 1 year (P = 0.012), but at 2 years, both groups had similar improvement (P = 0.091). The percentage of patients with large improvement in 6MWT was greatest in patients categorized as slow walkers and lowest in fast walkers. Symptom burden improved after TAVR at 30 days and after both procedures at 1 and 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: In this substudy of patients from the SURTAVI trial, patients receiving TAVR demonstrated a more rapid improvement in functional status and symptom burden compared with patients undergoing surgery; however, both groups had similar improvements in long-term follow-up. (Safety and Efficacy Study of the Medtronic CoreValve® System in the Treatment of Severe, Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in Intermediate Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement [SURTAVI]; NCT01586910).

The Impact of Transfusions on Mortality After Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: An increasing body of evidence suggests that packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality after transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement. It remains unclear whether PRBC transfusion is a surrogate marker or truly an independent risk factor for mortality after aortic valve replacement in different populations. METHODS: The Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (SURTAVI) trial randomized 1660 patients with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis at intermediate risk for operative death to transcatheter aortic valve replacement or surgical aortic valve replacement. Baseline characteristics and outcomes including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 30 days and thereafter were compared between participants with and participants without PRBC transfusion. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were fitted to estimate the effect of PRBC transfusion on mortality after adjustment for comorbidities and procedural complications. RESULTS: Patients receiving PRBC were older, more commonly female and frail, with more comorbidities. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality baseline score was higher in the transfused group. After adjustment for these differences, PRBC transfusion was associated with mortality at 30 days, but not thereafter. The effect of PRBC on mortality (hazard ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.11; P = .304) at 30 days was not independent of procedural complications (hazard ratio 21.04; 95% CI, 7.26 to 60.95; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Poor health status, procedural complications, PRBC transfusion, and mortality are correlated with each other. Transfusion of PRBC did not independently increase risk for mortality. In this intermediate-risk population, transfusion appears to be a risk marker of chronic conditions and periprocedural complications as opposed to a risk factor for postprocedural mortality. (Clinical trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01586910.).

Comparison of Outcomes After Transcatheter vs Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Among Patients at Intermediate Operative Risk With a History of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Post Hoc Analysis of the SURTAVI Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has increased risk for patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and a history of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may be an alternative. Objective: To compare TAVR with SAVR outcomes in patients at intermediate operative risk with prior CABG surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this post hoc analysis of the Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (SURTAVI) noninferiority randomized clinical trial, patients with severe, symptomatic AS at intermediate operative risk were enrolled from 87 centers across the United States, Europe, and Canada from June 2012 to June 2016 and followed-up with up to July 2017. Those with a history of CABG surgery were considered for analysis. Data were analyzed from September to December 2017. Interventions: A total of 1746 patients were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to self-expanding TAVR or SAVR. An implant was attempted in 1660 patients, of whom 273 had prior CABG surgery, including 136 who underwent attempted TAVR and 137 who underwent attempted SAVR. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 1-year follow-up. Efficacy outcomes included quality of life, measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year, and distance walked in 6 minutes, measured using the 6-minute walk test at 30 days and 1 year. Results: Of the 136 patients in the TAVR cohort, 111 (81.6%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 76.9 (6.5) years; of the 137 in the SAVR cohort, 117 (85.4%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 76.6 (6.5) years. The mean (SD) Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality score was 5.0% (1.6%) in the TAVR cohort and 5.2% (1.7%) in the SAVR cohort. All-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 1-year follow-up was 8.9% (95% CI, 5.2-15.2) in the TAVR cohort and 6.7% (95% CI, 3.5-12.8) in the SAVR cohort (log-rank P = .53). Compared with patients receiving SAVR, the mean (SD) Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire summary score was significantly better among patients receiving TAVR at 30 days (81.4 [19.2] vs 69.7 [22.6]; P < .001); treatments were similar at 1 year (85.7 [14.6] vs 82.8 [18.4]; P = .19). Compared with patients in the SAVR cohort, those in the TAVR cohort showed greater mean (SD) improvement in distance walked at 1 year (48.3 [120.6] m vs 16.8 [88.7] m; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance: Both TAVR and SAVR were safe for intermediate-risk patients with AS and prior CABG surgery. The transcatheter approach facilitated faster improvement in quality of life and better exercise capacity at 1-year follow-up. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01586910.

Thrombus formation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: This paper reviews the published data and reports 3 cases of thrombosis involving CoreValve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota) and 1 involving Edward Sapien (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California) devices. Three of these cases had pathological findings at autopsy. BACKGROUND: Only a limited number of cases of valve dysfunction with rapid increase of transvalvular aortic gradients or aortic insufficiency post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have been described. This nonstructural valvular dysfunction has been presumed to be because of early pannus formation or thrombosis. METHODS: Through reviews of the published reports and 4 clinical cases, pathological and clinical findings of early valve thrombosis are examined to elucidate methods for recognition and identifying potential causes and treatments. RESULTS: This paper presents 4 cases, 2 of which had increasing gradients post-TAVR. All 3 pathology cases showed presence of a valve thrombosis in at least 2 TAV leaflets on autopsy, but were not visualized by transthoracic echocardiogram or transesophageal echocardiogram. One case was medically treated with oral anti coagulation with normalization of gradients. The consequence of valve thrombosis in all 3 pathology patients either directly or indirectly played a role in their early demise. At least 18 case reports of early valve thrombosis have been published. In 12 of these cases, the early treatment with anticoagulation therapy resolved the thrombus formation and normalized aortic pressures gradients successfully. CONCLUSIONS: These 4 cases elucidate the occurrence of valve thrombosis post-TAVR. Consideration should be given to treatment with dual antiplatelet therapy and oral anticoagulation in patients post-TAVR with increasing mean pressure gradients and maximum aortic valve velocity. Further research should be conducted to create guidelines for antithrombotic therapy following TAVR procedure.

Beneficial effects of terlipressin in hepatorenal syndrome: a prospective, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) occurs in about 18% of cirrhotic patients with ascites and is characterized by intense renal vasoconstriction, low glomerular filtration rate and preserved tubular function and normal renal histology. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of terlipressin on renal function, systemic hemodynamics and clinical outcome in patients with HRS. METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled single-blind trial. We randomly assigned 24 consecutive patients with HRS to treatment with terlipressin 1 mg i.v. at 12-h intervals (group A; n = 12) or placebo at 12-h intervals (group B; n = 12). The end-point of the study was improvement in renal functions defined as reversal of HRS and survival at 15 days. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable at baseline. After treatment with terlipressin, urine output significantly (P < 0.05) increased progressively in group A (day 4, 960 +/- 40 mL/24 h; day 8, 1068 +/- 56 mL/24 h) compared with group B (day 4, 451 +/- 40 mL/24 h; day 8, 291 +/- 45 mL/24 h). Creatinine clearance improved (P < 0.05) in group A (day 4, 20.2 +/- 2.1 mL/min; day 8, 35 +/- 2.8 mL/min) compared with group B (day 4, 11.3 +/- 1.3 mL/min; day 8, 9.3 +/- 1.7 mL/min). Serum creatinine decreased in group A but not in group B (day 8, 1.6 +/- 0.01 compared with 3.9 +/- 0.26, P < 0.05). Mean arterial pressure increased significantly (P < 0.05) in group A. Terlipressin administration was associated with transient self-limiting side-effects including crampy abdominal pain in two patients and cardiac arrhythmias in three patients. Five of the 12 patients survived in group A compared with none in group B at day 15 (P < 0.05) and all survivors had reversal of HRS. CONCLUSION: In patients with HRS, terlipressin significantly improved renal functions and systemic hemodynamics, and showed a trend towards better clinical outcome. The drug merits further evaluation with different dosages and longer schedules.