Baseline characteristics and outcomes after transcatheter aortic-valve implantation in patients with or without previous balloon aortic valvuloplasty: Insights from the FRANCE 2 registry.

BACKGROUND: Some patients who are at high surgical risk because of multiple co-morbidities undergo balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) as a bridge therapy towards transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI). AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical course of patients with or without previous BAV who underwent TAVI and were included in the FRANCE 2 registry. METHODS: From January 2010 to December 2011, 3953 patients underwent TAVI. Survival analysis was done by multivariable regression and propensity-score analysis to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: Patients in the previous BAV group (n=664, 16.8%) were older than patients in the primary TAVI group. The logistic EuroSCORE I and the rates of co-morbidities and symptoms were higher in the previous BAV group. Procedural success was similar in both groups, as was postprocedural aortic regurgitation grade≥2/4. The 1-month mortality rates from all causes were 12.5 and 8.7%, respectively, in the previous BAV and primary TAVI groups (P=0.001). The 1-month to 1-year mortality rates were similar in both groups. Previous BAV was not an independent predictor of 1-month mortality (hazard ratio 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.90-2.34; P=0.14) or 1-month to 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Crude 1-month mortality was higher in patients with previous BAV. Nevertheless, precarious preoperative status, but not previous BAV, was associated with mortality, and is the only marker that should be considered as detrimental at the time of preTAVI reassessment.