Editor's Choice - Infra-inguinal Endovascular Revascularisation and Bypass Surgery for Chronic Limb Threatening Ischaemia: a Retrospective European Multicentre Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matching.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the long term efficacy of lower limb bypass with that of endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI). METHODS: This retrospective, multicentre study evaluated the outcomes of patients with CLTI who underwent first time infra-inguinal bypass or EVT. The primary outcome was to compare amputation free survival (AFS) rates between the two propensity score matched groups. The secondary outcome was to compare wound healing within the first six months. Major adverse events were compared according to the type of revascularisation. RESULTS: Overall, 793 patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria, from whom 236 propensity score matched pairs were analysed. The mean follow up was 52 months. The 236 bypass procedures included 190 autogenous bypass grafts (80.5%), 151 (64.0%) of which were infrapopliteal. Among the 236 EVT procedures, the target lesion was the femoropopliteal segment in 81 patients (34.3%), the femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal segments in 101 patients (42.8%), and the infrapopliteal segment in 54 patients (22.9%). AFS was significantly better in the bypass group at five years (60.5 ± 3.6%) compared with the EVT group (35.3 ± 3.6%) (p < .001). Major amputation occurred in 61 patients (25.8%) in the bypass group and 85 patients (36.0%) in the EVT group (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47 - 0.92; p = .014). The probability of healing was significantly better in the bypass group at six months compared with the EVT group (p = .003). The median length of stay was shorter for the EVT group (4 days) than for the bypass group (8 days) (p = .001). Urgent re-intervention and re-admission rates were high and did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that lower limb bypass surgery offered a significantly higher probability of AFS and wound healing compared with EVT in patients with CLTI.

Assessment of shape-based features ability to predict the ascending aortic aneurysm growth.

The current guidelines for the ascending aortic aneurysm (AsAA) treatment recommend surgery mainly according to the maximum diameter assessment. This criterion has already proven to be often inefficient in identifying patients at high risk of aneurysm growth and rupture. In this study, we propose a method to compute a set of local shape features that, in addition to the maximum diameter D, are intended to improve the classification performances for the ascending aortic aneurysm growth risk assessment. Apart from D, these are the ratio DCR between D and the length of the ascending aorta centerline, the ratio EILR between the length of the external and the internal lines and the tortuosity T. 50 patients with two 3D acquisitions at least 6 months apart were segmented and the growth rate (GR) with the shape features related to the first exam computed. The correlation between them has been investigated. After, the dataset was divided into two classes according to the growth rate value. We used six different classifiers with input data exclusively from the first exam to predict the class to which each patient belonged. A first classification was performed using only D and a second with all the shape features together. The performances have been evaluated by computing accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and positive (negative) likelihood ratio LHR+ (LHR-). A positive correlation was observed between growth rate and DCR (r = 0.511, p = 1.3e-4) and between GR and EILR (r = 0.472, p = 2.7e-4). Overall, the classifiers based on the four metrics outperformed the same ones based only on D. Among the diameter-based classifiers, k-nearest neighbours (KNN) reported the best accuracy (86%), sensitivity (55.6%), AUROC (0.74), LHR+ (7.62) and LHR- (0.48). Concerning the classifiers based on the four shape features, we obtained the best accuracy (94%), sensitivity (66.7%), specificity (100%), AUROC (0.94), LHR+ (+∞) and LHR- (0.33) with support vector machine (SVM). This demonstrates how automatic shape features detection combined with risk classification criteria could be crucial in planning the follow-up of patients with ascending aortic aneurysm and in predicting the possible dangerous progression of the disease.

Clinical impact of the heart team on the outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement among octogenarians.

OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of a multidisciplinary heart team in the management of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis is unknown. This study evaluated the impact of a heart team on the outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement in octogenarians. METHODS: Between May 2007 and January 2016, 528 patients aged 80 years or more were referred to our institutional heart team for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Among these, 101 were redirected to surgical aortic valve replacement (heart team group). These patients were compared with a surgical aortic valve replacement cohort (n = 506) without prior heart team screening (non-heart team group), taken from the same time period. Propensity score matching with bootstrap analysis was performed; 76 heart team patients were matched to 76 non-heart team patients. Early and late outcomes including survival and readmission for cardiovascular causes were compared. RESULTS: Matched subgroups were largely comparable; congestive heart failure and echocardiographic pulmonary hypertension were more prevalent in the heart team group. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the matched heart team group (0% vs 6.0%, bootstrap mean difference 6.0%, 95% confidence interval, 2.2-9.8). The risk of stroke, low cardiac output state, reexploration for bleeding, pneumonia, and prolonged ventilation was also significantly lower in the heart team group. There was no significant between-group difference regarding late survival (hazard ratio, 0.86, 95% confidence interval, 0.55-1.33, P = .49) or readmission for cardiovascular reasons (hazard ratio, 0.70, 95% confidence interval, 0.41-1.20, P = .19). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative multidisciplinary assessment of octogenarians by a heart team was associated with lower in-hospital mortality and adverse events after surgical aortic valve replacement.

Incidence, management, and prognosis of post-ischaemic ventricular septal defect: Insights from a 12-year tertiary centre experience.

Background: Among mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction, ventricular septal defect (VSD) is uncommon but still serious. The evolution of emergency coronary revascularisation paradoxically decreased our knowledge of this disease, making it even rarer. Aim: To describe ischaemic VSD incidence, management, and associated in-hospital and 1-year outcomes over a 12-years period. Methods: A retrospective single-centre register of patients managed for ischaemic VSD between January 2009 and December 2020. Results: Ninety-seven patients were included representing 8 patients/ years and an incidence of 0.44% of ACS managed. The majority of the patients were 73-years-old males (n = 54, 56%) with STEMI presentation (n = 75, 79%) and already presented with Q necrosis on ECG (n = 70, 74%). Forty-nine (51%) patients underwent PCI, 60 (62%) inotrope/vasopressors infusion, and 70 (72%) acute mechanical circulatory support (IABP 62%, ECMO 13%, and Impella® 3%). VSD surgical repair was performed for 44 patients (45%) and 1 patient was transplanted. In-hospital mortality was 71%, and 86% at 1 year, without significant improvement over the decade. Surgery appears to be a protective factor [0.51 (0.28-0.94) p = 0.003], whereas age [1.06 (1.03-1.09), p < 0.001] and lactate [1.16 (1.09-1.23), p < 0.001] were linked to higher 1-year mortality. None of the patients that were managed medically survived 1 year. Conclusion: Post-ischaemic VSD is a rare but serious complication still associated with high mortality. Corrective surgery is associated with better survival, however, timing, patient selection, and a place for mechanical circulatory support need to be defined.

Early and midterm outcomes of a bentall operation using an all-biological valved BioConduit™.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the midterm results of aortic root replacement using the valved, all biological, No React®, BioConduit™. METHODS: From 2017 to 2020, we prospectively followed 91 consecutive patients who underwent a Bentall procedure with a BioConduit™ valved graft in our institution. The primary outcomes were aortic bioprosthetic valve dysfunction and mortality according to Valve Academic Research Consortium 3 (VARC3). RESULTS: Mean age was 70 ± 10 years and 67 patients (74%) were men. Ascending aortic aneurysm (72%), aortic valve regurgitation (51%) or stenosis (20%) and acute endocarditis (14%) were the main indications for surgery. Seventy-four patients (81.3%) were followed up at 1 year. The perioperative mortality was 8% (n = 8), the early, 1 year, mortality was 2% (n = 2) and the midterm mortality, at 4 years of follow up, was 4% (n = 3). Ten patients fulfilled the criteria for hemodynamic valve deterioration at 1 year (13%) and 14 for a bioprosthetic valve failure during the entire follow-up (17%). CONCLUSIONS: We are reporting early and midterm results of Bentall procedures with the all-biological, valved, No-React® BioConduit™. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting an early and midterm unexpectedly high rate of non-structural prosthetic hemodynamic deterioration. The rate of endocarditis and atrioventricular disconnections remain similar to previous studies.

Outcome of Temporary Circulatory Support As a Bridge-to-Left Ventricular Assist Device Strategy in Cardiogenic Shock Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Temporary circulatory support (TCS) as a bridge-to-left ventricular assist device (BTL) in cardiogenic shock patients has been increasing, but limited data exists on this BTL strategy. We aimed at analyzing the outcome of BTL patients in a population of cardiogenic shock patients compared with those without TCS at the time of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery and identify predictors of postoperative mortality in this specific population. DESIGN: A multicenter retrospective observational study conducted in 19 centers from 2006 to 2016. SETTING: Nineteen French centers. PATIENTS: A total of 329 cardiogenic shock patients at the time of LVAD implantation were analyzed. Patients were divided in three groups: those under TCS at the time of LVAD implantation (n = 173), those with TCS removal before LVAD surgery (n = 24), and those who did not undergo a bridging strategy (n = 152). Primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among the BTL group, 68 (39.3%), 18 (10.4%), and 15 (8.7%) patients were under venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Impella, and IABP support alone, and 72 patients (20.6%) were under multiple TCS support. BTL patients presented similar 30 days survival compared with the TCS removal and non-BTL groups. However, BTL group had a significantly longer ICU duration stay, with two-fold duration of mechanical ventilation time, but the three groups experienced similar postoperative complications. Multivariate analysis identified three independent predictors of mortality in the BTL group: combined surgery with LVAD, body mass index (BMI), and heart failure (HF) duration. BTL strategy was not an independent predictor of mortality in cardiogenic shock patients who underwent LVAD. CONCLUSIONS: BTL strategy is not associated with a lower survival among cardiogenic shock patients with LVAD implantation. Predictors of mortality are combined surgery with LVAD, higher BMI, and HF duration.

Stress exercise haemodynamic performance and opening reserve of a stented bovine pericardial aortic valve bioprosthesis.

OBJECTIVES: Despite unusual high rates of patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM), excellent midterm clinical outcomes have been reported after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) with the Avalus™ bioprosthetic valve (Medtronic). To elucidate this "PPM conundrum," the Avalus valve haemodynamics were assessed during exercise testing. METHODS: Of the 148 patients who had undergone SAVR with the Avalus valve at our institution, 30 were randomly selected among those in whom stress test was deemed feasible and underwent a resting transthoracic echocardiography immediately followed by exercise echocardiography. Severe PPM was defined as indexed effective orifice area (iEOA) ≤ 0.65 cm2 /m2 and moderate PPM as iEOA > 0.65 and ≤ 0.85 cm2 /m2 . Measured PPM was determined with the use of the measured iEOA at rest or stress, while the estimated PPM was based on the estimated iEOA, derived from the mean EOA reported for each valve size in the manufacturer chart. RESULTS: Measured EOA significantly increased from rest to peak exercise in all PPM groups (p < .05) and the rates of moderate and severe measured PPM decreased from 40% and 20% to 27% and 0%, respectively. The patients with low-flow state (flow < 250 ml/s) had significantly lower measured rest EOA (p = .03). On the basis of the estimated iEOA, there was no severe PPM and 19 patients had moderate PPM (63.3%), with a significantly lower opening reserve than the patients without estimated PPM (p = .04). The estimated iEOA was more reliably correlated to the measured iEOA at maximal stress than the measured iEOA at rest, especially in patients with a low-flow state. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the concept of an opening reserve of the Avalus valve to explain the PPM conundrum and promotes the use of exercise Doppler-echocardiography to complete the assessment of mismatch, especially in patients with a low-flow state. Published estimated EOA seems reliable to predict the haemodynamic performance of the Avalus valve, whether the flow conditions at rest.

Comparison of Outcomes and Mortality in Patients Having Left Ventricular Assist Device Implanted Early -vs- Late After Diagnosis of Cardiomyopathy.

LVAD implantation in patients with a recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy has been poorly investigated. This work aims at describing the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving a LVAD within 30 days following the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy. Patients from the ASSIST-ICD study was divided into recently and remotely diagnosed cardiomyopathy based on the time from initial diagnosis of cardiomyopathy to LVAD implantation using the cut point of 30 days. The primary end point of the study was all-cause mortality at 30-day and during follow-up. A total of 652 patients were included and followed during a median time of 9.1 (2.5 to 22.1) months. In this population, 117 (17.9%) had a recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy and had LVAD implantation after a median time of 15.0 (9.0 to 24.0) days following the diagnosis. This group of patients was significantly younger, with more ischemic cardiomyopathy, more sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) events at the time of the diagnosis and were more likely to receive temporary mechanical support before LVAD compared with the remotely diagnosed group. Postoperative in-hospital survival was similar in groups, but recently diagnosed patients had a better long-term survival after hospital discharge. SCA before LVAD and any cardiac surgery combined with LVAD implantation were identified as 2 independent predictors of postoperative mortality in recently diagnosed patients. In conclusion, rescue LVAD implantation for recently diagnosed severe cardiomyopathy is common in clinical practice. Such patients experience a relatively low postoperative mortality and have a better long-term survival compared with remotely diagnosed patients.

Postoperative Delirium is a Risk Factor of Poor Evolution Three Years After Cardiac Surgery: An Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: After cardiac surgery, postoperative delirium (POD) is common and is associated with long-term changes in cognitive function. Impact on health-related quality of life (QOL) and long-term dependence are not well known. This aim of this study is to evaluate the role of POD in poor evolution at three years after surgery including poor QOL and dependence and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled and followed 173 patients 60 years of age or older who were planning to undergo cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. The primary composite outcome was death of any causes, or patients with either a loss of QOL (evaluated with of EuroQuol verbal 5D EQ5D less than 50), or a loss of two points on the instrumental activities of daily living occurring three years after surgery. POD was diagnosed with the use of Confusion Assessment Method. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: At three years, 74 patients (42.8%) had a poor evolution. Independent risk factors in poor patient evolution were sex (female gender; OR: 3.6; 95%CI: 1.45-8.7; p=0.006), metabolic status (diabetic patients; OR: 4; 95%CI: 1.6-10.2; p=0.002), Euroscore 2 (Euroscore 2 >1.5; OR: 5.2; 95%CI: 1.7-15.4; p=0.003) and POD (OR: 3.3; 95%CI 1.4-7.8; p=0.006). Coronary disease was protective (OR: 0.3; 95%CI: 0.14-0.71; p=0.006). CONCLUSION: After cardiac surgery, POD significantly altered patient evolution and increased risk of dependence and loss of QOL.

The frozen elephant trunk technique in an emergency: THORAFLEX French National Registry offers new insights.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to study the immediate outcome after an emergency frozen elephant trunk procedure with a Thoraflex™ Hybrid prosthesis (THP) in patients included in the EPI-Flex national registry and operated on in 21 French centres. METHODS: All patients operated on in France between April 2016 and April 2019 for acute aortic syndromes and who had an frozen elephant trunk procedure with a THP were included in the study. The main end point was in-hospital mortality. The secondary end point was neuromorbidity, including paraplegia. The evolution of the main end point was monitored using a variable life-adjusted display graph with cumulative sum derivatives in order to stop inclusions in case the observed mortality became out of range compared to an expected mortality between 15% and 20%. RESULTS: Enrolment ended on the scheduled date and included 109 patients. Most cases (54%) were performed at 3 centres, where more than 10 THP each were implanted (10-26). The observed mortality in the large-volume centres (22%) was comparable to that observed in the low-volume centres (20%). The individually risk-adjusted cumulative sum revealed that observed in-hospital mortality was statistically in line with that predicted by the log EuroSCORE. Analysis of the secondary end point revealed 8% cases of paraplegia, all of which appeared after treatment of the thoracic type A aortic dissection. CONCLUSIONS: In France, THP for emergency frozen elephant trunk surgery outside high-volume centres did not result in excessive in-hospital deaths. However, a word of caution must be expressed regarding the prevention of medullar ischaemia even in emergency aortic surgery.

Renal Artery Outcomes After Open Repair of Suprarenal or Type IV Thoraco-abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid and long term patency of elective renal artery reconstructions during open surgical repair of suprarenal aortic aneurysms (SRAA) and type 4 thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms (T4AAA). METHODS: This retrospective, single centre study included all consecutive patients who underwent surgery for SRAA or T4AAA between January 2009 and December 2019 at Toulouse University Hospital. All patients underwent strict pre-operative planning with computed tomography angiography (CTA) and 3D reconstruction of the aortic aneurysm, visceral and renal artery anatomy to choose the most appropriate surgical technique for each case. Primary patency, primary assisted patency, and rates of re-intervention were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In total, 103 patients, having undergone 159 renal artery revascularisation procedures, were enrolled in the study. Fifty-five patients presented with a type T4AAA and 48 patients with a SRAA. In hospital mortality was 2.9%. In association with aortic surgery, 100 direct re-implantation (62.8%), 48 retrograde bypasses (30.1%), and 11 anterograde bypasses (6.9%) of the renal arteries were performed. Median follow up was 45.9 ± 36 months. Renal artery primary patency rates were 99.4%, 96.4%, and 93.1% at one, three, and five years, respectively. Assisted primary patency rates were 99.4%, 97.7%, and 97.7% at one, three, and five years, respectively, with five cases of renal stenosis > 70% successfully treated by renal stenting. No significant difference in patency was found regarding the type of renal revascularisation. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study suggests that the mid term patency of elective open renal artery reconstruction during SRAA and type T4AAA surgery preceded by pre-operative planning with 3D-CTA reconstruction, yields excellent outcomes whatever the technique used.

Relation of Body Mass Index to Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure Implanted With Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

We aimed at characterizing the impact of low and high body mass index (BMI) on outcomes after left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery and define the predictors of mortality in patients with abnormal BMI (low/high). This study was conducted in 19 centers from 2006 to 2016. Patients were divided based on their baseline BMI into 3 groups of BMI: low (BMI ≤18.5 kg/m²); normal (BMI = 18.5 to 24.99 kg/m²) and high (BMI ≥25 kg/m²) (including overweight (BMI = 25 to 29.99 kg/m²), and obesity (BMI ≥30 Kg/m²)). Among 652 patients, 29 (4.4%), 279 (42.8%) and 344 (52.8%) had a low-, normal-, and high BMI, respectively. Patients with high BMI were significantly more likely men, with more co-morbidities and more history of ventricular/supra-ventricular arrhythmias before LVAD implantation. Patients with abnormal BMI had significantly lower survival than those with normal BMI. Notably, those with low BMI experienced the worst survival whereas overweight or obese patients had similar survival. Four predictors of mortality for LVAD candidates with abnormal BMI were defined: total bilirubin ≥16 µmol/L before LVAD, hypertension, destination therapy, and cardiac surgery with LVAD. Depending on the number of predictor per patients, those with abnormal BMI may be divided in 3 groups of 1-year mortality risk, i.e., low (0 to 1 predictor: 29% and 31%), intermediate (2 to 3 predictors, 51% and 52%, respectively), and high (4 predictors: 83%). In conclusion, LVAD recipients with abnormal BMI experience lower survival, especially underweight patients. Four predictors of mortality have been identified for LVAD population with abnormal BMI, differentiating those a low-, intermediate-, and high risks of death.

Complete aortic replacement in aortitis due to aseptic abscess syndrome.

A 36-year-old man was admitted for a tender inflammatory type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with multiple aortic dilations. After open repair, he remained frail, but results of all infectious and inflammatory investigations were negative. Hypermetabolic intrasplenic collections were discovered on postoperative computed tomography, and aortitis with aseptic abscess syndrome was strongly suggested. Immunosuppressive therapy was undertaken, and his health improved dramatically. After 7 years of treatment, however, the initial aortic dilations had developed in size, necessitating multiple surgical procedures leading to complete aortic replacement. The postoperative course was uneventful with a satisfactory final computed tomography scan. Subsequent to immunotherapy, no new aneurysm developed.

Contribution and performance of multimodal imaging in the diagnosis and management of cardiac masses.

To evaluate the contribution and performance of multimodal imaging in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of cardiac masses. We carried out a monocentric retrospective study on patients referred for cardiac mass assessment between 2006 and 2019, and analyzed the respective contribution of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), cardiac computed tomography (CT), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography coupled with CT (18F-FDG PET-CT). For each test, we determined strategy before and after its completion (need for another imaging or decision-making) as well as result on benign, malignant or indeterminate nature. For the 119 patients included, all imaging modalities increased decision-making rates, which rose from 2 to 54%, 23 to 62%, 31 to 85% and 49 to 100% before and after TEE, CT, CMR and 18F-FDG PET-CT, respectively (P < 0.001 before vs. after). TEE was particularly efficient for atrial masses, especially for the left atrium, with a decision rate rising from 0 to 74% (P < 0.001). 18F-FDG PET-CT was the most efficient to differentiate benign and malignant etiologies (area under the curve 0.89 ± 0.06 and 0.94 ± 0.05 for benign and malignant, respectively, P < 0.001). A benign or undetermined result on each modality was associated with a good prognosis, compared to malignant. All modalities studied are useful for cardiac mass decision-making. First-line TEE is particularly efficient for atrial masses, whereas CT and CMR are useful for ventricular masses or suspicion of malignancy. A benign or malignant result for each modality is correlated to survival and 18F-FDG PET-CT is the most effective to define it.

Infective Endocarditis in a Third Trimester Pregnant Woman: Team Work Is the Best Option.

Infective endocarditis in pregnancy may have a misleading presentation and carries a high-risk of complications for both the mother and her infant. When urgent valve surgery is required, the fetal risk relative to cardiopulmonary bypass is challenging requiring a multidisciplinary management. We report the case of a pregnant woman with infective endocarditis on a bicuspid aortic valve who was successfully treated by a 2-step strategy including cardiac surgery. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Transaortic Left Ventricular Unloading in VA-ECMO: The Transsubclavian Route.

Left ventricular unloading during extracorporeal life support aims to minimize potential side effects of increased left ventricular afterload. A transaortic catheter vent implanted through a subclavian approach was used in 2 patients. Patient 1 was a 48-year-old man with a recent history of ST-elevation myocardial infarction who developed refractory cardiogenic shock due to severe biventricular dysfunction. Patient 2 was a 56-year-old man admitted for severe flu. The unloading procedure was successful in both patients, with bridge to heart transplantation in the first case and bridge to recovery in the other.

Aortic and innominate routes for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of the transaortic approach for the transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedure using balloon-expandable and self-expanding devices. METHODS: From January 2012 to December 2016, the transaortic-transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedure was performed in 206 consecutive patients at the Rangueil University Hospital. All procedures were performed by a multidisciplinary heart team. The ascending aorta (27%) or innominate artery (73%) was exposed through a J-type manubriotomy. Events were adjudicated according to Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. RESULTS: Mean age and logistic European System for Cardiac Risk Evaluation II were 83.9 ± 6.7 years and 16.8% ± 10.8%, respectively. Balloon-expandable and self-expanding valves were implanted in 59.7% and 40.3% of patients, respectively. Device success rate was 98.1%. Thirty-day overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cerebrovascular event, myocardial infarction, and permanent pacemaker implantation rates were 5.3%, 4.4%, 1.5%, 1.0%, and 9.7%, respectively (1-year rates: 15.5%, 9.2%, 3.9%, 3.4%, and 10.2%, respectively). Life-threatening bleeding and major vascular complications (7.3% and 3.9%, respectively) were not related to the central access site in approximately half of the cases. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified preoperative renal failure as an independent predictor of overall mortality (odds ratio, 2.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.73-4.59; P < .0001). At the 1-year follow-up, most patients had experienced improved functional status and 98.4% of them were free of moderate to severe paravalvular leak. CONCLUSIONS: In a higher-risk subgroup within the patient population receiving transcatheter aortic valve implantation, transaortic-transcatheter aortic valve implantation was successfully performed in 98.1% of cases, with high functional improvement and low rates of mortality and adverse events, especially neurologic complications.