Understanding transcatheter edge-to-edge repair "knobology": Advanced catheter steering for different scenarios of transseptal puncture.

Following the introduction in the latest European and American guidelines, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair has become a valid alternative to surgery for ineligible patients. Among the available technologies, MitraClip (Abbott) was the first to be introduced for the percutaneous treatment of mitral regurgitation with the edge-to-edge technique. Although its safety and effectiveness has been widely demonstrated, the optimal procedural results are highly dependent from operators' experience. In this manuscript, we provide a full guide of advanced steering maneuvers of MitraClip in different scenarios of transseptal puncture.

Impact of Renal Congestion in Patients With Secondary Mitral Regurgitation After Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair.

BACKGROUND: Renal congestion is a potential prognostic factor in patients with heart failure and recently, assessment has become possible with intrarenal Doppler ultrasonography (IRD). The association between renal congestion assessed by IRD and outcomes after mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is unknown, so we aimed to clarify renal congestion and its prognostic implications in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) who underwent TEER using MitraClip system.Methods and Results: Patients with secondary MR who underwent TEER and were assessed for intrarenal venous flow (IRVF) by IRD were classified according to their IRVF pattern as continuous or discontinuous. Of the 105 patients included, 78 patients (74%) formed the continuous group and 27 (26%) were the discontinuous group. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significant prognostic power of the IRVF pattern for predicting the composite outcome of all-cause death and heart failure rehospitalization (log-rank P=0.0257). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, the composite endpoint was independently associated with the discontinuous IRVF pattern (hazard ratio, 3.240; 95% confidence interval, 1.300-8.076; P=0.012) adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting. CONCLUSIONS: IRVF patterns strongly correlated with clinical outcomes without changes in renal function. Thus, they may be useful for risk stratification after mitral TEER for patients with secondary MR.

Impact of the MitraClip G4 System on Routine Practice and Outcomes in Patients With Secondary Mitral Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: The MitraClip G4 system is a new iteration of the transcatheter edge-to-edge repair system. We assessed the impact of the G4 system on routine practice and outcomes in secondary mitral regurgitation (2°MR).Methods and Results: Consecutive patients with 2°MR treated with either the MitraClip G2 (n=89) or G4 (n=63) system between 2018 and 2021 were included. Baseline characteristics, procedures, and outcomes were compared. Inverse probability of treatment weighting and Cox regression were used to adjust for baseline differences. Baseline characteristics were similar, except for a lower surgical risk in the G4 group (Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality ≥8: 38.1% vs. 56.2%; P=0.03). In the G4 group, more patients had short (≤2 mm) coaptation length (83.7% vs. 54.0%; P<0.001) and fewer clips were used (17.5% vs. 36.0%; P=0.02). Acceptable MR reduction was observed in nearly all patients, with no difference between the G4 and G2 groups (100% vs. 97.8%, respectively; P=0.51). The G4 group had fewer patients with high transmitral gradients (>5mmHg; 3.3% vs. 13.6%; P=0.03). At 1 year, there was no significant difference between groups in the composite endpoint (death or heart failure rehospitalization) after baseline adjustment (10.5% vs. 20.2%; hazard ratio 0.39; 95% confidence interval 0.11-1.32; P=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: The G4 system achieved comparable device outcomes to the early-generation G2, despite treating more challenging 2°MR with fewer clips.

Prognostic value of transvalvular flow rate in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis: A dobutamine stress echocardiography study.

BACKGROUNDS: There are limited data on the clinical relevance of transvalvular flow rate (Qmean ) at rest (Qrest) and at peak stress (Qstress ) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (LG-SAS). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with LG-SAS who underwent DSE. LG-SAS was defined as an aortic valve (AV) area index of < .6 cm2 /m2 and a mean AV pressure gradient (AVPG) of < 40 mm Hg. The primary endpoint included all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization. RESULTS: Of 100 patients (mean age 79.5 ± 7.3 years; men, 45.0%; resting left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 52.1% ± 15.9%; resting stroke volume index 35.8 ± 7.7 mL/m2 ; Qrest 171.8 ± 34.9 mL/s), the primary endpoint occurred in 51 patients during a median follow-up of 2.84 (interquartile range 1.01-5.21) years. When the study patients were divided into three subgroups based on Qrest and Qstress , the multivariate analysis showed that Qrest < 200 mL/s and Qstress ≥200 mL/s (hazard ratio 3.844; 95% confidence interval 1.143-12.930; p = .030), as well as Qrest and Qstress < 200 mL/s (hazard ratio 9.444; 95% confidence interval 2.420-36.850; p = .001), were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes with Qrest and Qstress ≥200 mL/s as a reference after adjusting for resting LVEF, resting mean AVPG, chronic kidney disease, New York Heart Association functional class III/IV, and AV replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Flow conditions based on the combination of Qrest and Qstress are helpful for risk stratification in LG-SAS patients.

Prognostic value of extraaortic-valvular cardiac damage in patients with moderate aortic stenosis and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

PURPOSE: The extraaortic-valvular cardiac damage (EVCD) Stage has shown potential for risk stratification for patients with aortic stenosis (AS). This study aimed to examine the usefulness of the EVCD Stage in risk stratification of patients with moderate AS and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: Clinical data from patients with moderate AS (aortic valve area, .60-.85 cm2/m2; peak aortic valve velocity, 2.0-4.0 m/s) and reduced LVEF (LVEF 20%-50%) were analyzed during 2010-2019. Patients were categorized into three groups: EVCD Stages 1 (LV damage), 2 (left atrium and/or mitral valve damage), and 3/4 (pulmonary artery vasculature and/or tricuspid valve damage or right ventricular damage). The primary endpoint included a composite of cardiac death and heart failure hospitalization, with non-cardiac death as a competing risk. RESULTS: The study included 130 patients (mean age 76.4 ± 6.8 years; 62.3% men). They were categorized into three groups: 26 (20.0%) in EVCD Stage 1, 66 (50.8%) in Stage 2, and 48 (29.2%) in Stage 3/4. The endpoint occurred in 54 (41.5%) patients during a median follow-up of 3.2 years (interquartile range, 1.4-5.1). Multivariate analysis indicated EVCD Stage 3/4 was significantly associated with the endpoint (hazard ratio 2.784; 95% confidence interval 1.197-6.476; P = .017) compared to Stage 1, while Stage 2 did not (hazard ratio 1.340; 95% confidence interval .577-3.115; P = .500). CONCLUSION: The EVCD staging system may aid in the risk stratification of patients with moderate AS and reduced LVEF.

Intracardiac Echocardiography Guidance for Percutaneous Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defects　- Nationwide Registry Data Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been used for percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure, with intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance recently being introduced.Methods and Results: The Japanese Structural Heart Disease Registry was established by the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics. This study analyzed data from the Registry for 2,859 consecutive cases undergoing percutaneous ASD closure between January 2015 and December 2020. ASD closure was performed under ICE guidance (n=519; 18.2%), TEE guidance (n=1,428; 49.9%), or TEE plus ICE guidance ("Both"; n=900 cases; 31.5%). The success rates were similar in the TEE, ICE, and both groups (99.0%, 99.2%, vs. 98.0%, respectively; P=0.054), as were complication rates (1.2%, 0.5%, vs. 2.1%, respectively; P=0.24). In the TEE and Both groups, 92.4% and 79.6% of patients required general anesthesia, compared with only 2.9% of patients in the ICE group (P<0.001). Fluoroscopic time was longer in the ICE and Both groups than in the TEE group (median [interquartile range] 19 [14-28] and 21 [13-30] vs. 12 [8-19] min, respectively; P<0.001). Rim deficiency and larger defect diameter were inversely related, whereas hospital volume was positively related to ICE guidance. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous transcatheter ASD closure was as feasible under ICE as under TEE guidance. ICE guidance is used for less challenging cases in high-volume centers in Japan.

Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defect Requiring Transcatheter Closure Following Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system has been established in selected high-risk patients. The MitraClip procedure results in a relatively large iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical course of iASD requiring transcatheter closure following the MitraClip procedure.Methods and Results: This study was conducted at all 59 institutions that perform transcatheter mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system in Japan. The data of patients on whom transcatheter iASD closure was performed were collected. Of the 2,722 patients who underwent the MitraClip procedure, 30 (1%) required transcatheter iASD closure. The maximum iASD size was 9±4 mm (range, 3-18 mm). The common clinical course of transcatheter iASD closure was hypoxemia with right-to-left shunt or right-sided heart failure with left-to-right shunt. Of the 30 patients, 22 (73%) required transcatheter closure within 24 h following the MitraClip procedure, including 12 with hypoxemia and 5 with right-sided heart failure complicated with cardiogenic shock. Of the 5 patients, 2 required mechanical circulatory support devices. Twenty-one patients immediately underwent transcatheter iASD closure, and hemodynamic deteriorations were resolved; however, 1 patient died without having undergone transcatheter closure. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter iASD closure was required in 1% of patients who underwent the MitraClip procedure. Many of these patients immediately underwent transcatheter iASD closure because of hypoxemia with right-to-left shunt or right-sided heart failure with left-to-right shunt.

Impact of perioperative change in physical function on midterm outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Preoperative frailty diminishes the potential for functional recovery after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, perioperative changes in physical status and their impact on prognosis after TAVI have not previously been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether perioperative changes in physical function affect prognosis in patients undergoing TAVI. We retrospectively reviewed 257 patients who underwent TAVI. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), an objective physical status assessment tool, was evaluated pre- and post-TAVI. Patients were divided into two groups: (i) patients whose SPPB score declined in the perioperative period (the decline group) and (ii) patients whose SPPB score did not decline in the perioperative period (the non-decline group). The primary endpoint was unplanned hospitalization owing to heart failure or cardiovascular death following TAVI. The mean follow-up period was 385 ± 151 days, mean age was 83.2 ± 5.8 years, and 67% of the patients were women. Sixteen patients required readmission owing to heart failure, and seven experienced cardiovascular-related death. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the event-free rate was significantly lower in the decline group (log-rank, p = 0.006). A stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a perioperative change in SPPB was significantly associated with primary endpoints (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.04). Perioperative change in physical function was an independent risk factor for heart failure, hospitalization, or cardiovascular death following TAVI.

Resting echocardiographic predictors for true-severe aortic stenosis in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis: A dobutamine stress echocardiography study.

OBJECTIVE: Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is not always feasible in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (LG-SAS), and there are limited data available on the resting echocardiographic predictors for true-severe aortic stenosis (TSAS). This study investigated resting echocardiographic predictors for TSAS. METHODS: Clinical data of 106 LG-SAS patients who underwent DSE were retrospectively analyzed. LG-SAS was defined as an aortic valve area index (AVAi) < .6 cm2 /m2 , and a mean AV pressure gradient < 40 mm Hg. The velocity ratio (VR) was calculated as the peak left ventricular outflow tract velocity/peak AV velocity. TSAS was defined as a projected AVAi < .6 cm2 /m2 . RESULTS: The mean age was 79.3 ± 7.3 years, and 45 (42.5%) were men. The resting AV data were as follows: AVAi, .50 ± .07 cm2 /m2 ; mean AV pressure gradient, 23.0 ± 7.4 mm Hg; and VR, .25 ± .05. The projected AVAi was .58 ± .09 cm2 /m2 , and TSAS was documented in 65 (61.3%) patients. In multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of TSAS were AVAi (p = 0.012) and VR (p = 0.004) with respective best cut-off values of .52 cm2 /m2 and .25 on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. According to incremental numbers of the predictors, correct classification percentages of TSAS significantly increased with the Cochran-Armitage trend test (16.2% in no predictors, 65.2% in one predictor, and 95.7 % in two predictors; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Resting AVAi and VR were independent predictors of TSAS in LG-SAS patients. The true severity might be predictable using the combination of resting parameters.

New-Generation Transcatheter Aortic Valves in Patients With Small Aortic Annuli　- Comparison of Balloon- and Self-Expandable Valves in Asian Patients.

BACKGROUND: Asian patients have smaller aortic annuli. Although 20-mm balloon-expandable (BE) transcatheter heart valves (THV) are manufactured for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in these cases, the supra-annular design of self-expandable (SE) THV is considered more suitable; however, real-world comparative data are scarce.Methods and Results:Consecutive TAVI cases (n=330) in a single Japanese center were reviewed. Based on the cutoff for the new-generation 20-/23-mm BE-THV, a small aortic annulus was defined as <330 mm2. A considerable number of patients had small annuli: 49/302 (16%). Of these, 33 BE-THV and 13 SE-THV using new-generation valves were compared. Although the SE-THV group had smaller annulus area (median 297 (interquartile range, 280-313) vs. 309 (303-323) mm2(P=0.022)), it had more favorable post-procedural parameters; for SE-THV and BE-THV, respectively, effective orifice area (EOA), 1.5 (1.3-1.6) vs. 1.1 cm2(0.9-1.3) (P=0.002); mean pressure gradient, 7.6 (5.6-11.0) vs. 14.2 mmHg (11.2-18.8) (P=0.001); and peak velocity, 1.8 (1.6-2.4) vs. 2.7 m/s (2.3-3.1) (P=0.001). Although new left bundle branch block was higher with SE-THV (24% and 62%, P=0.02), patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) ≥ moderate (indexed EOA <0.85 cm2/m2) was significantly less with SE-THV than with BE-THV (8% vs. 55%; P=0.04). Hemodynamic findings were consistent up to 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Small annuli are often seen in Asian patients, for whom SE-THV implantation results in favorable hemodynamics with less PPM.

Effect of Immunosuppressive Therapy on Clinical Outcomes for Patients With Aortic Stenosis Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment for symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Sometimes patients with severe AS taking immunosuppressants are encountered. The effect of immunosuppressive therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with AS following TAVI were investigated.Methods and Results:In total, 282 consecutive patients with severe AS who underwent transfemoral TAVI from January 2016 to December 2018 at St. Marianna University School of Medicine were reviewed. They were divided into 2 groups: the immunosuppressants group (IM group) in which patients continually used immunosuppressive drugs (n=22) and the non-immunosuppressants group (non-IM group) (n=260). The composite endpoints of a major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) defined as non-lethal myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, heart failure requiring hospitalization, stroke, and cardiovascular death were evaluated. There were no differences in the incidence of vascular access complications (32% vs. 20%, P=0.143) and the rate of procedure success (100% vs. 93%, P=0.377) between the IM and non-IM groups. During the median follow-up period of 567 (16-1,312) days after the TAVI procedure, there were no significant differences between the IM and non-IM groups in the incidence of infectious complications (14% vs. 9%, P=0.442) or MACCE (18% vs. 20%, respectively; P=0.845). CONCLUSIONS: The use of IM after TAVI is not associated with increased vascular access complications or mid-term MACCE in patients with severe AS treated with TAVI.

Clinical Impact of New-Onset Left Bundle-Branch Block After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in the Japanese Population　- A Single High-Volume Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Although left bundle-branch block (LBBB) is a known conduction disorder that occurs after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), its clinical impact in the Japanese population remains unclear.Methods and Results:Of the 298 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI from January 2016 to December 2018 in a high-volume center in Japan, 68 with prior or periprocedural permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI), pre-existing LBBB, death during hospitalization, aborted procedure, or incomplete data were excluded. Among the final cohort of 230 patients, new-onset LBBB occurred in 90 (39%) after TAVI and persisted at 1-month follow up in 29 patients (13%; persistent new-onset LBBB, PN-LBBB). On multivariable analysis, self-expandable valve (SEV) use was found to be the only predictor of PN-LBBB (odds ratio: 4.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.69-11.41, P=0.002). There were no differences between patients with and without PN-LBBB in terms of overall mortality (18.8% vs. 26.0%, log-rank P=0.90) or need for late PPI (4.0% vs. 3.5%, log-rank P=0.74), yet there was an increased re-admission rate for heart failure (HF) in the PN-LBBB group (15.6% vs. 8.0%, log-rank P=0.046) at a median follow up of 431 (interquartile range, 271-733) days. CONCLUSIONS: PN-LBBB following TAVI was not associated with mortality or late PPI, but with a higher incidence of HF-related re-hospitalization at the mid-term follow up.

Outcomes of transcatheter mitral valve replacement for degenerated bioprostheses, failed annuloplasty rings, and mitral annular calcification.

Aims: We sought to evaluate the outcomes of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) for patients with degenerated bioprostheses [valve-in-valve (ViV)], failed annuloplasty rings [valve-in-ring (ViR)], and severe mitral annular calcification [valve-in-mitral annular calcification (ViMAC)]. Methods and results: From the TMVR multicentre registry, procedural and clinical outcomes of ViV, ViR, and ViMAC were compared according to Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium (MVARC) criteria. A total of 521 patients with mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score of 9.0 ± 7.0% underwent TMVR (322 patients with ViV, 141 with ViR, and 58 with ViMAC). Trans-septal access and the Sapien valves were used in 39.5% and 90.0%, respectively. Overall technical success was excellent at 87.1%. However, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction occurred more frequently after ViMAC compared with ViR and ViV (39.7% vs. 5.0% vs. 2.2%; P < 0.001), whereas second valve implantation was more frequent in ViR compared with ViMAC and ViV (12.1% vs. 5.2% vs. 2.5%; P < 0.001). Accordingly, technical success rate was higher after ViV compared with ViR and ViMAC (94.4% vs. 80.9% vs. 62.1%; P < 0.001). Compared with ViMAC and ViV groups, ViR group had more frequent post-procedural mitral regurgitation ≥moderate (18.4% vs. 13.8% vs. 5.6%; P < 0.001) and subsequent paravalvular leak closure (7.8% vs. 0.0% vs. 2.2%; P = 0.006). All-cause mortality was higher after ViMAC compared with ViR and ViV at 30 days (34.5% vs. 9.9% vs. 6.2%; log-rank P < 0.001) and 1 year (62.8% vs. 30.6% vs. 14.0%; log-rank P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, patients with failed annuloplasty rings and severe MAC were at increased risk of mortality after TMVR [ViR vs. ViV, hazard ratio (HR) 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27-3.12; P = 0.003; ViMAC vs. ViV, HR 5.29, 95% CI 3.29-8.51; P < 0.001]. Conclusion: The TMVR provided excellent outcomes for patients with degenerated bioprostheses despite high surgical risk. However, ViR and ViMAC were associated with higher rates of adverse events and mid-term mortality compared with ViV.

Feasibility and safety of transfemoral sheathless portico aortic valve implantation: Preliminary results in a single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Feasibility of transfemoral (TF) transcathteter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is limited by the smallest diameter, the calcification and tortuosity of the iliofemoral access vessels. The use of the Portico system without delivery sheath results in significantly lower profile delivery system compared to standard technique. We herein report our single center experience, feasibility and safety of such an approach. METHODS: The Portico valve was implanted sheathless in 81 high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis utilizing percutaneous femoral access. Mean minimal diameter of the ileo-femoral arterial access was 7.06 ± 1.89 mm. In most cases a multidetector computed tomography was performed before the intervention to assess the feasibility of vascular access and for aortic annulus measurements. The vascular access site was preclosed using two ProGlide suture systems. RESULTS: Device implantation was successful 98.7% of patients. Valve recapturing and repositioning as well as valve-in-valve deployment was performed in only one case (1.2%). There were no infarctions, 2 strokes (2.4%) and 2 acute kidney failure (2.4%), 1 major vascular complication1 (1.2%) 4 major bleedings (4.9%), 11 conductions disturbances and relative pace-maker implantations (14.2%). The mean gradient decreased from 42.3 ± 17 to 6.3 ± 2.78 mm Hg. Paravalvular regurgitation as assessed by TTE at discharge was absent or trivial in 19 patients, mild in 60 and moderate 1. Thirty-day mortality was 2.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Sheathless use of the Portico valve is feasible and appears to be safe, with excellent rates of complications and mortality in the short-term. Such an approach has the potential to further expand feasibility of TF TAVR to patients with severe peripheral arterial disease. Feasibility in patients with smaller femoral access and more challenging anatomy has to be proven in further studies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ST-Segment Elevation During Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure.

A 70-year-old patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent left atrial appendage closure. The patient experienced transient hypotension during device implantation. The procedure was abandoned because of ST-T-wave changes on electrocardiography and elevated coronary flow velocity on transesophageal echocardiography, which indicated that the device caused coronary artery compression.

Safety and feasibility of zero-contrast transcatheter aortic valve implantation using balloon-expandable valves in patients with aortic stenosis and severe renal impairment: A single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis (AS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) can coexist. Repeat exposure to contrast media in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has latent mortality risks and increased risk for acute kidney injury. We aimed to assess our "zero-contrast TAVI" protocol for patients with advanced CKD. METHODS: Consecutive patients with severe AS who underwent TAVI at a single center registry were enrolled. Zero-contrast TAVI group included patients who underwent TAVI without contrast and who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m2. Conventional TAVI group included patients who underwent the regular TAVI procedure. Patients using balloon-expandable valves via transfemoral approach were analyzed. Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between two groups. The primary outcome was early safety as defined by Valve Academic Research Consortium Criteria. Secondary outcomes included the presence of severe prosthesis-patient mismatch, moderate or greater perivalvular leakage, and requirement for new dialysis (within 3 months). RESULTS: A total of 520 patients were analyzed. Among these, 32 (6 %) underwent zero-contrast TAVI and 488 (94 %) conventional TAVI. In the zero-contrast TAVI group, 12 patients (37.5 %) had to use 20.7 (11.0-31.2) mL of contrast media. There were no significant differences in the primary and secondary outcomes between zero-contrast TAVI and conventional TAVI groups (78.1 % vs. 86.8 %, P = 0.184 and 9.4 % vs. 8.1 %, P = 0.738 for the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Zero-contrast TAVI is feasible, safe, and effective in patients with AS and stage 4 CKD.

Changes in exercise stress echocardiographic parameters before and after transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair.

The safety and feasibility are still not well known for exercise-induced mitral regurgitation (MR). This study is aimed to assess and compare the hemodynamic and symptomatic changes in patients with significant secondary MR during exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) before and after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). The study included a total of 15 patients with secondary MR who underwent ESE before and after TEER using the MitraClip system (Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, USA). Echocardiographic data of ESE were collected both before the procedure and during the follow-up visit at 3 months. During the one-year postoperative observation period, the rate of readmission due to heart failure was 13% (n = 2), with no recorded fatalities. Although no significant differences of ESE data were observed in exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension or cardiac output before and after the repair, the severity of MR was significantly improved after the procedure, both at rest (2 [2-3] vs. 1 [1-2], p = 0.0125) and during ESE (3 [3-3] vs. 1 [1-1], p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the New York Heart Association Functional Classification was improved (3 [3-3] vs. 1 [1-1], p < 0.0001) after treatment. For a supplemental analysis, MR during ESE was significantly improved not only in cases with atrial secondary MR but also in ventricular secondary MR. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for exercise-induced MR resulted in a significant improvement in postoperative MR severity and subjective symptoms. These results are novel, as they have not been extensively reported previously, particularly among Japanese patients.

Cardiac power output is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with preserved ejection fraction after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aims: Cardiac power output (CPO) measures cardiac performance, and its prognostic significance in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (EF) has been previously reported. However, the effectiveness of CPO in risk stratification of patients with valvular heart disease and post-operative valvular disease has not been reported. We aimed to determine the association between CPO and clinical outcomes in patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) EF after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods and results: This retrospective observational study included 1047 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis after TAVI. All patients were followed up for all-cause mortality and hospitalization for HF. CPO was calculated as 0.222 × cardiac output × mean blood pressure (BP)/LV mass, where 0.222 was the conversion constant to W/100 g of the LV myocardium. CPO was assessed using transthoracic echocardiography at discharge after TAVI. Of the 1047 patients, 253 were excluded following the exclusion criteria, including those with low LVEF, and 794 patients (84.0 [80.0-88.0] years; 35.8% male) were included in this study. During a median follow-up period of 684 (237-1114) days, the composite endpoint occurred in 196 patients. A dose-dependent association was observed between the CPO levels and all-cause mortality. Patients in the lowest CPO tertile had significantly lower event-free survival rates (log-rank test, P = 0.043). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that CPO was independently associated with adverse outcomes (hazard ratio = 0.561, P = 0.020). CPO provided an incremental prognostic effect in the model based on clinical and echocardiographic markers (P = 0.034). Conclusion: CPO is independently and incrementally associated with adverse outcomes in patients with preserved LVEF following TAVI.

Prevalence and Clinical Outcomes of Noncardiac Surgery After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Aortic stenosis is a prevalent valvular heart disease, especially in the older people. They often coexist with other co-morbidities, and noncardiac surgery carries a higher risk because of the underlying valve condition. Despite the growing concern about the safety and optimal management of noncardiac surgery post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), there is limited evidence on this matter. This study aims to assess the clinical outcomes of noncardiac surgeries after TAVR. This retrospective study included 718 patients who underwent TAVR. Of these, 36 patients underwent noncardiac surgery after TAVR. The primary end point was the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events post-TAVR and the secondary end point was the incidence of structural valve deterioration. Composite end points included disabling stroke, heart failure requiring hospitalization, and cardiac death as defined by Valve Academic Research Consortium 3. Most of these surgeries were orthopedic and classified as intermediate risk. All noncardiac surgeries were performed without perioperative adverse events. There was no observed structural valve deterioration, and the incidence of composite end points did not significantly differ between the surgical and nonsurgical groups during the follow-up period. Noncardiac surgery after TAVR can be performed safely and does not have a negative impact on prognosis. Further studies are warranted to determine the optimal strategy for noncardiac surgery after TAVR.

Prediction of symptom development and aortic valve replacement in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis.

Aims: Current evidence on the prognostic value of exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) in asymptomatic patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (AS) is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate its prognostic implications for patients with low-gradient severe AS and determine the added value of ESE in risk stratification for this population. Methods and results: This retrospective observational study included 122 consecutive asymptomatic patients with either moderate [mean pressure gradient (MPG) < 40 mmHg and aortic valve area (AVA) 1.0-1.5 cm2] or low-gradient severe (MPG < 40 mmHg and AVA < 1.0 cm2) AS and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%) who underwent ESE. All patients were followed up for AS-related events. Of 143 patients, 21 who met any exclusion criteria, including early interventions, were excluded, and 122 conservatively managed patients [76.5 (71.0-80.3) years; 48.3% male] were included in this study. During a median follow-up period of 989 (578-1571) days, 64 patients experienced AS-related events. Patients with low-gradient severe AS had significantly lower event-free survival rates than those with moderate AS (log-rank test, P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the mitral E/e' ratio during exercise was independently associated with AS-related events (hazard ratio = 1.075, P < 0.001) in patients with low-gradient severe AS. Conclusion: This study suggests that asymptomatic patients with low-gradient severe AS have worse prognoses than those with moderate AS. Additionally, the mitral E/e' ratio during exercise is a useful parameter for risk stratification in patients with low-gradient severe AS.