Mortality after cardiac resynchronization therapy or right ventricular pacing in transcatheter aortic valve replacement recipients.

BACKGROUND: Permanent pacemaker implantation (PMI) is associated with increased morbidity after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Cardiac resynchronization-therapy (CRT) is recommended for patients if left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is ≤ 40% and ventricular pacing is expected in favor to sole right ventricular (RV) pacing. Meanwhile, LVEF may recover after TAVR in patients with aortic valve disease and the benefit of CRT is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of CRT implantation as compared to RV pacing after TAVR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2022, 4385 patients (53.1% female, mean age 81 ± 6 years) without prior PMI undergoing TAVR were retrospectively identified in our institutional registry. After stratification of patients in LVEF ≤ 40%, 41-49% and ≥ 50%, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly different survival rates in each subgroup at 5 years (37.0% vs. 43.5% vs. 55.1%; P ≤ 0.021). At multivariate regression, LVEF and new PMI after TAVR were not relevant for survival. A total of 105 patients with LVEF ≤ 40% received PMI after TAVR (86 patients with RV pacing and 19 with CRT). At 5 years, all-cause mortality was significantly lower in patients with CRT-device as compared to patients without CRT-device (Kaplan Meier estimate of 21.1% vs. 48.8%; HR 0.48, CI 0.204 - 1.128; log rank p = 0.045). In multivariate analysis CRT remained a significant factor for 5-year survival in these patients (HR 0.3, CI 0.095-0.951, p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing TAVR, PMI did not influence 5-year survival. In patients with LVEF ≤ 40%, CRT-device implantation was associated with improved survival compared to non-CRT-device implantation.

Congestion patterns in severe tricuspid regurgitation and transcatheter treatment: Insights from a multicentre registry.

AIMS: While invasively determined congestion holds mechanistic and prognostic significance in acute heart failure (HF), its role in patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR)-related right- heart failure (HF) undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) is less well established. A comprehensive understanding of congestion patterns might aid in procedural planning, risk stratification, and the identification of patients who may benefit from adjunctive therapies before undergoing TTVI. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of congestion patterns in patients with severe TR and its implications for TTVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Within a multicentre, international TTVI registry, 813 patients underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) prior to TTVI and were followed up to 24 months. The median age was 80 (interquartile range 76-83) years and 54% were women. Both mean right atrial pressure (RAP) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) were associated with 2-year mortality on Cox regression analyses with Youden index-derived cut-offs of 17 mmHg and 19 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.01 for all). However, RAP emerged as an independent predictor of outcomes following multivariable adjustments. Pre-interventionally, 42% of patients were classified as euvolaemic (RAP <17 mmHg, PCWP <19 mmHg), 23% as having left-sided congestion (RAP <17 mmHg, PCWP ≥19 mmHg), 8% as right-sided congestion (RAP ≥17 mmHg, PCWP <19 mmHg), and 27% as bilateral congestion (RAP ≥17 mmHg, PCWP ≥19 mmHg). Patients with right-sided or bilateral congestion had the lowest procedural success rates and shortest survival times. Congestion patterns allowed for discerning specific patient's physiology and specifying prognostic implications of right ventricular to pulmonary artery coupling surrogates. CONCLUSION: In this large cohort of invasively characterized patients undergoing TTVI, congestion patterns involving right-sided congestion were associated with low procedural success and higher mortality rates after TTVI. Whether pre-interventional reduction of right-sided congestion can improve outcomes after TTVI should be established in dedicated studies.

Sleep apnea in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: Impact on perioperative outcomes.

Sleep-disordered breathing is common in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with increased perioperative morbidity, arrhythmias (e.g. atrial fibrillation) and mortality. This study investigated the impact of sleep-disordered breathing on the postoperative course after coronary artery bypass grafting, including development of atrial fibrillation. This prospective single-centre cohort study included adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. All were screened for sleep-disordered breathing (polygraphy) and atrial fibrillation (electrocardiogram) preoperatively; those with known sleep-disordered breathing or atrial fibrillation were excluded. Endpoints included new-onset atrial fibrillation, duration of mechanical ventilation, time in the intensive care unit, and postoperative infection. Regression analysis was performed to identify associations between sleep-disordered breathing and these outcomes. A total of 508 participants were included (80% male, median age 68 years). The prevalence of any (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 5 per hr), moderate (apnea-hypopnea index = 15-30 per hr) and severe (apnea-hypopnea index > 30 per hr) sleep-disordered breathing was 52.9%, 9.3% and 10.2%, respectively. All-cause 30-day mortality was 0.98%. After adjustment for age and sex, severe sleep-disordered breathing was associated with longer respiratory ventilation support (crude odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 5.28 [2.18-12.77]; p < 0.001) and higher postoperative infection rates (crude odds ratio 3.32 [1.45-7.58]; p < 0.005), but not new-onset atrial fibrillation or mortality. New-onset atrial fibrillation was significantly associated with postoperative infection and prolonged hospital stay. The significant associations between sleep-disordered breathing and several adverse outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting support the need for preoperative sleep-disordered breathing screening in individuals undergoing cardiac surgery.

Incidence and clinical impact of renal failure and bleeding following transcatheter tricuspid valve annuloplasty.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding is the most common complication after percutaneous leaflet-based tricuspid valve repair and associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) and adverse outcome. TTVA with the Cardioband system is a technically more complex procedure; however, frequency and prognostic impact of postinterventional bleeding and renal complications have not been thoroughly examined. AIMS: This study was performed to determine the incidence and clinical impact of bleeding complications (MVARC criteria) and acute kidney injury (KDIGO criteria) following transcatheter tricuspid valve annuloplasty (TTVA). METHODS: In a bi-center retrospective analysis of patients undergoing TTVA between 2018 and 2022, we examined frequency, predictors, and clinical impact of bleeding and renal failure. RESULTS: In 145 consecutive patients, the incidence of any MVARC bleeding was 20.7% (n = 30), whereas major MVARC bleeding occurred in 6.9% (n = 10). The incidence of AKI was 18.6% (n = 27). Risk factors for bleeding events included low baseline hemoglobin and elevated baseline creatinine levels. Risk factors for AKI included diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, high body mass index, and elevated baseline creatinine levels. Neither procedure duration nor amount of contrast media was associated with AKI or bleeding. Both bleeding and AKI led to a longer hospital stay. At 3 months, 10.0% (n = 3) of patients with bleeding and 7.8% (n = 9) of patients without bleeding complications died (p = 0.70). Additionally, mortality rate was 7.4% (n = 2) in patients with AKI compared to 8.5% (n = 10) without AKI (p = 0.83). CONCLUSION: While about a fifth of patients undergoing TTVA suffered from postinterventional AKI or bleeding, none of these complications was associated with higher mortality at short-term follow-up. One important risk factor for both complications was chronic renal dysfunction, indicating a high-risk patient population. The most frequent bleeding localizations were the femoral access site, pericardial hemorrhage, and the esophagus, which need explicit attention in periprocedural management.

A Comparative Study of 1-Year Postprocedural Outcomes in Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair in Advanced Primary Mitral Regurgitation: PASCAL vs. MitraClip.

Both the MitraClip and PASCAL systems offer transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) solutions for mitral regurgitation. Evidence indicates a lower technical success rate for TEER in complex degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) cases. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent transcatheter edge-to-edge therapy for primary mitral regurgitation with advanced anatomy, defined as mitral regurgitation effective regurgitant orifice area (MR-EROA) ≥0.40 cm2 or large flail gap (≥5 mm) or width (≥7 mm) or Barlow's disease, that completed follow-up after 1 year. Our criteria were met by 27 patients treated with PASCAL and 18 with MitraClip. All patients exhibited a significant, equivalent short-term reduction in MR-EROA, mitral regurgitation vena contracta diameter (MR-VCD), regurgitant volume, and clinical status. At 1 year follow-up, reductions in MR-VCD, regurgitant volume, and MR-EROA remained significant for both groups without significant differences between groups. MR-Grade ≤ 1+ was achieved in 18 (66.7%) and 10 (55.6%) patients, respectively. At follow-up, no difference in hospitalization for cardiac decompensation was observed. Overall death was similar in both groups. Our study suggests that both the PASCAL and MitraClip systems significantly reduce mitral regurgitation even in advanced degenerative diseases. Within our limited data, we found no evidence of inferior performance of the PASCAL system.

Tricuspid edge-to-edge repair for tricuspid valve prolapse and flail leaflet: feasibility in comparison to patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation.

AIMS: Transcatheter tricuspid edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) has gained widespread use for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in symptomatic patients with high operative risk. Although secondary TR is the most common pathology, some patients exhibit primary or predominantly primary TR. Characterization of patients with these pathologies in the T-TEER context has not been systematically performed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients assigned to T-TEER by the interdisciplinary heart team were consecutively recruited in two European centres over 4 years. Echocardiographic images were evaluated to distinguish between primary and secondary causes of TR. Both groups were compared concerning procedural results. A total of 339 patients were recruited, 13% with primary TR and 87% with secondary TR. Patients with primary TR had a smaller right ventricle (basal diameter 45 vs. 49 mm, P = 0.004), a better right ventricular function (fractional area change 45 vs. 41%, P = 0.001), a smaller right (28 vs. 34 cm2, P = 0.021) and left (52 vs. 67 mL/m2, P = 0.038) atrium, and a better left ventricular ejection fraction (60 vs. 52%, P = 0.005). The severity of TR was similar in primary and secondary TR at baseline (TR vena contracta width pre-interventional 13 ± 4 vs. 14 ± 5 mm, P = 0.19), and T-TEER significantly reduced TR in both groups (TR vena contracta width post-interventional 4 ± 3 vs. 5 ± 5 mm, P = 0.10). These findings remained stable after propensity score matching. Complications were similar between both groups. CONCLUSION: T-TEER confers equally safe and effective reduction of TR in patients with primary and secondary TR.

Artificial intelligence-enabled assessment of right ventricular to pulmonary artery coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention.

AIMS: Right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling has been established as a prognostic marker in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions (TTVI). RV-PA coupling assesses right ventricular systolic function related to pulmonary artery pressure levels, which are ideally measured by right heart catheterization. This study aimed to improve the RV-PA coupling concept by relating tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) to mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) levels. Moreover, instead of right heart catheterization, this study sought to employ an extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithm to predict mPAP levels based on standard echocardiographic parameters. METHODS AND RESULTS: This multicentre study included 737 patients undergoing TTVI for severe TR; among them, 55 patients from one institution served for external validation. Complete echocardiography and right heart catheterization data were available from all patients. The XGB algorithm trained on 10 echocardiographic parameters could reliably predict mPAP levels as evaluated on right heart catheterization data from external validation (Pearson correlation coefficient R: 0.68; P value: 1.3 × 10-8). Moreover, predicted mPAP (mPAPpredicted) levels were superior to echocardiographic systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAPechocardiography) levels in predicting 2-year mortality after TTVI [area under the curve (AUC): 0.607 vs. 0.520; P value: 1.9 × 10-6]. Furthermore, TAPSE/mPAPpredicted was superior to TAPSE/sPAPechocardiography in predicting 2-year mortality after TTVI (AUC: 0.633 vs. 0.586; P value: 0.008). Finally, patients with preserved RV-PA coupling (defined as TAPSE/mPAPpredicted > 0.617 mm/mmHg) showed significantly higher 2-year survival rates after TTVI than patients with reduced RV-PA coupling (81.5% vs. 58.8%, P < 0.001). Moreover, independent association between TAPSE/mPAPpredicted levels and 2-year mortality after TTVI was confirmed by multivariate regression analysis (P value: 6.3 × 10-4). CONCLUSION: Artificial intelligence-enabled RV-PA coupling assessment can refine risk stratification prior to TTVI without necessitating invasive right heart catheterization. A comparison with conservatively treated patients is mandatory to quantify the benefit of TTVI in accordance with RV-PA coupling.

Echocardiographic mechanical dyssynchrony predicts long-term mortality in patients with cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is an established treatment for patients with symptomatic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤ 35%; HFrEF) and conduction disturbances (QRS duration ≥ 130 ms). The presence of mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) on echocardiography has been hypothesised to be of predictive value in determining indication for CRT. This study investigated the impact of MD (apical rocking [AR] and septal flash [SF]) on long-term survival in CRT recipients. HFrEF patients (n = 425; mean age 63.0 ± 10.6 years, 72.3% male, 60.7% non-ischaemic aetiology) with a guideline-derived indication for CRT underwent device implantation. MD markers were determined at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 11.5 ± 8.0 months; long-term survival was also determined. AR and/or SF were present in 307 (72.2%) participants at baseline. During post-CRT follow-up, AR and/or SF disappeared in 256 (83.4%) patients. Overall mean survival was 95.9 ± 52.9 months, longer in women than in men (109.1 ± 52.4 vs. 90.9 ± 52.4 months; p < 0.001) and in younger (< 60 years) versus older patients (110.6 ± 53.7 vs. 88.6 ± 51.1 months; p < 0.001). Patients with versus without MD markers at baseline generally survived for longer (106.2 ± 52.0 vs. 68.9 ± 45.4 months; p < 0.001), and survival was best in patients with resolved versus persisting MD (111.6 ± 51.2 vs. 79.7 ± 47.6 months p < 0.001). Age and MD at baseline were strong predictors of long-term survival in HFrEF patients undergoing CRT on multivariate analysis. Novel echocardiography MD parameters in HFrEF CRT recipients predicted long-term mediated better outcome, and survival improved further when AR and/or SF disappear after CRT implantation.

One-Year Outcomes According to Mitral Regurgitation Etiology Following Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair With the PASCAL System: Results From a Multicenter Registry.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported procedural and 30-day outcomes of a German early multicenter experience with the PASCAL system for severe mitral regurgitation (MR). This study reports 1-year outcomes of mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair with the PASCAL system according to MR etiology in a large all-comer cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical and echocardiographic outcomes up to 1-year were investigated according to MR etiology (degenerative [DMR], functional [FMR], or mixed [MMR]) in the first 282 patients with symptomatic MR 3+/4+ treated with the PASCAL implant at 9 centers in 2019. A total of 282 patients were included (33% DMR, 50% FMR, 17% MMR). At discharge, MR reduction to ≤1+/2+ was achieved in 58%/87% of DMR, in 75%/97% of FMR, and in 78%/98% of patients with MMR (P=0.004). MR reduction to ≤1+/2+ was sustained at 30 days (50%/83% DMR, 67%/97% FMR, 74%/100% MMR) and at 1 year (53%/78% DMR, 75%/97% FMR, 67%/91% MMR) with significant differences between etiologies. DMR patients with residual MR 3+/4+ at 1-year had at least complex valve morphology in 91.7%. Valve-related reintervention was performed in 7.4% DMR, 0.7% FMR, and 0.0% MMR (P=0.010). At 1-year, New York Heart Association Functional Class was significantly improved irrespective of MR etiology (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large all-comer cohort, mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair with the PASCAL system was associated with an acute and sustained MR reduction at 1-year in all causes. However, in patients with DMR, MR reduction was less pronounced, reflecting the high incidence of complex or very complex anatomies being referred for mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair.

Impact of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure as a marker for diastolic dysfunction on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the proportion of elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) as an indicator of diastolic function after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and its implication in predicting long-term mortality. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively collected data on 3328 patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR in our institution between July 2009 and June 2021. Patients were stratified into two groups based on invasive post-procedural LVEDP measurements: normal (<15 mmHg) vs. elevated (≥15 mmHg) LVEDP. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 81.6 years, and 53.3% were female. Elevated post-procedural LVEDP was identified in 2408 (72.3%) patients. The 5-year mortality rates were higher in the group with elevated LVEDP compared with the group with normal LVEDP (27.4% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.01; hazard ratio [HR] 1.22, 95% CI 1.05-1.41). A multivariate model revealed the following independent predictors of mortality after TAVR: post-procedural elevated LVEDP (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.53), pre-procedural significant tricuspid regurgitation (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02-1.52) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.26-1.86). In the present study, a significant paravalvular leak after TAVR was not associated with higher mortality (HR 1.45, 95% CI-0.95-2.19, p = 0.75). CONCLUSION: Elevated post-procedural LVEDP in patients who undergo TAVR is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, PH and tricuspid regurgitation were also identified as predictors of mortality. These data confirm that diastolic dysfunction is an important predictor of mortality in TAVR and should be considered to guide procedure timing, favoring an early interventional approach and management in aortic stenosis patients.

Characterization of Screen Failures Among Patients Evaluated for Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair (TriSelect-Study).

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVr) has significantly expanded treatment options for tricuspid regurgitation (TR). However, a sizeable proportion of patients are still declined for TTVr and little is known about their clinical characteristics and cardiac morphology. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize patients who screen fail for TTVr with respect to their clinical characteristics and cardiac morphology. METHODS: A total of 547 patients were evaluated for TTVr between January 2016 to December 2021 from 3 centers in the United States and Germany. Clinical records and echocardiographic studies were used to assess medical history and right ventricular (RV) and tricuspid valve (TV) characteristics. RESULTS: Median age was 80 (IQR: 74-83) years and 60.0% were female. Over half (58.1%) were accepted for TTVr. Of those who were deemed unsuitable for TTVr (41.9%), the most common exclusion reasons were anatomical criteria (56.8%). In the regression analysis, RV and right atrial size, TV coaptation gap, and tethering area were identified as independent screen failure predictors. Other rejection reasons included clinical futility (17.9%), low symptom burden (12.7%), and technical limitations (12.7%). Most of the excluded patients (71.6%) were managed conservatively with medical therapy, while a small number either proceeded to TV surgery (22.3%) or subsequently became eligible for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement in later available clinical trials in the United States (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of TTVr screen failure patients are excluded due to TV, right atrial, and RV enlargement. However, a significant proportion is excluded due to clinical futility. These identifiable anatomical and clinical characteristics emphasize the importance of earlier referral and intervention of TR and the need for continued innovation of Transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions.

Five-year-outcome of new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation after left atrial appendage amputation concomitant with cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Recent data demonstrated the benefit of left atrial appendage (LAA)-amputation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the long-term impact of LAA-amputation for patients with new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is still unknown. METHODS: Patients with no history of AF undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting by off-pump technique (OPCAB) between 2014 and 2016 were retrospectively examined. Cohorts were divided by the concomitant execution of LAA-amputation. Propensity score (PS) matching was applied by all available baseline characteristics. The composite of all-cause mortality, stroke and rehospitalization in patients with POAF and patients maintaining sinus rhythm posed as the primary endpoint. RESULTS: A total of 1522 patients were enrolled, of whom 1208 and 243 were included in the control and the LAA-amputation group, respectively and were matched to 243 patients in each group. In total, patients with POAF without LAA-amputation showed a significantly higher rate of the composite endpoint (17.3% vs 32.1%, p = 0.007). However, patients with LAA-amputation showed no significant difference in the composite endpoint (23.2% vs 26.7%, p = 0.57). The significantly higher occurrence of the composite endpoint was driven by all-cause mortality (p = 0.005) and rehospitalization (p = 0.029). Subgroup analysis revealed a CHA2DS2-VASc-score of ≥ 3 to be associated with the high rate of the primary endpoint (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: POAF is associated with a higher rate of the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke and rehospitalization. The composite endpoint in patients with LAA-amputation concomitant with OPCAB surgery developing new-onset POAF in a 5-year follow-up was not increased compared to a control cohort maintaining sinus rhythm. Five-year outcome of patients with POAF and LAA-amputation; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval, CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ECLS, extracorporeal life support, HR, hazard ratio, IABP, intra-aortic balloon pump, LAA, left atrial appendage, OPCAB, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, PAPs, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, SR, sinus rhythm, VT, ventricular tachycardia.

Secondary Mitral Regurgitation and Heart Failure: Current Advances in Diagnosis and Management.

The causes of mitral regurgitation (MR) can be broadly divided into primary and secondary causes. Although primary MR is caused by degenerative alterations of the mitral valve and the mitral valve apparatus, secondary (functional) MR is multifactorial and related to dilation of the left ventricle and/or mitral annulus commonly resulting in concomitant restriction of the leaflets. Therefore, the treatment of secondary MR (SMR) is complex and includes guideline directed heart failure therapy along with surgical and transcatheter approaches that have shown effectiveness in certain subgroups. This review aims to provide insight into current advances in diagnosis and management of SMR.

Sex-Related Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Outcome Prediction Among Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Men and women differ regarding comorbidities, pathophysiology, and the progression of valvular heart diseases. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess sex-related differences regarding clinical characteristics and the outcome of patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI). METHODS: All 702 patients in this multicenter study underwent TTVI for severe TR. The primary outcome was 2-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Among 386 women and 316 men in this study, men were more often diagnosed with coronary artery disease (52.9% in men vs 35.5% in women; P = 5.6 × 10-6). Subsequently, the underlying etiology for TR in men was predominantly secondary ventricular (64.6% in men vs 50.0% in women; P = 1.4 × 10-4), whereas women more often presented with secondary atrial etiology (41.7% in women vs 24.4% in men, P = 2.0 × 10-6). Notably, 2-year survival after TTVI was similar in women and men (69.9% in women vs 63.7% in men; P = 0.144). Multivariate regression analysis identified dyspnea expressed as New York Heart Association functional class, tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) as independent predictors for 2-year mortality. The prognostic significance of TAPSE and mPAP differed between sexes. Consequently, we looked at right ventricular-pulmonary arterial coupling expressed as TAPSE/mPAP and identified sex-specific thresholds to best predict survival; women with a TAPSE/mPAP ratio <0.612 mm/mm Hg displayed a 3.43-fold increased HR for 2-year mortality (P < 0.001), whereas men with a TAPSE/mPAP ratio <0.434 mm/mm Hg displayed a 2.05-fold increased HR for 2-year mortality (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Even though men and women differ in the etiology of TR, both sexes show similar survival rates after TTVI. The TAPSE/mPAP ratio can improve prognostication after TTVI, and sex-specific thresholds should be applied to guide future patient selection.

Epiphenomenon or Prognostically Relevant Interventional Target? A Novel Proportionality Framework for Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) frequently develops in patients with long-standing pulmonary hypertension, and both pathologies are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to improve prognostic assessment in patients with severe TR undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) by relating the extent of TR to pulmonary artery pressures. Methods and Results In this multicenter study, we included 533 patients undergoing TTVI for moderate-to-severe or severe TR. The proportionality framework was based on the ratio of tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area to mean pulmonary artery pressure. An optimal threshold for tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area/mean pulmonary artery pressure ratio was derived on 353 patients with regard to 2-year all-cause mortality and externally validated on 180 patients. Patients with a tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area/mean pulmonary artery pressure ratio ≤1.25 mm2/mm Hg (defining proportionate TR) featured significantly lower 2-year survival rates after TTVI than patients with disproportionate TR (56.6% versus 69.6%; P=0.005). In contrast with patients with disproportionate TR (n=398), patients with proportionate TR (n=135) showed more pronounced mPAP levels (37.9±9.06 mm Hg versus 27.9±8.17 mm Hg; P<2.2×10-16) and more severely impaired right ventricular function (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion: 16.0±4.11 versus 17.0±4.64 mm; P=0.012). Moreover, tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area was smaller in patients with proportionate TR when compared with disproportionate TR (0.350±0.105 cm2 versus 0.770±0.432 cm2; P<2.2×10-16). Importantly, proportionate TR remained a significant predictor for 2-year mortality after adjusting for demographic and clinical variables (hazard ratio, 1.7; P=0.006). Conclusions The proposed proportionality framework promises to improve future risk stratification and clinical decision-making by identifying patients who benefit the most from TTVI (disproportionate TR). As a next step, randomized controlled studies with a conservative treatment arm are needed to quantify the net benefit of TTVI in patients with proportionate TR.

Leaflet Morphology and its Implications for Direct Transcatheter Annuloplasty of Tricuspid Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: Leaflet morphology has been associated with treatment success in edge-to-edge repair of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), but the impact on annuloplasty is unclear. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to examine the association of leaflet morphology with efficacy and safety of direct annuloplasty in TR. METHODS: The authors analyzed patients who underwent catheter-based direct annuloplasty with the Cardioband at 3 centers. Leaflet morphology was assessed according to number and location of leaflets by echocardiography. Patients with simple morphology (2 or 3 leaflets) were compared with complex morphology (>3 leaflets). RESULTS: The study included 120 patients (median age 80 years) with ≥severe TR. A total of 48.3% of patients had a 3-leaflet morphology, 5% a 2-leaflet morphology, and 46.7% had >3 tricuspid leaflets. Baseline characteristics did not differ relevantly between groups except for a higher incidence of torrential TR grade (50 vs 26.6%) in complex morphologies. Postprocedural improvement of 1 (90.6% vs 92.9%) and 2 (71.9% vs 67.9%) TR grades was not significantly different between groups, but patients with complex morphology had more often residual TR ≥3 at discharge (48.2 vs 26.6%; P = 0.014). This difference did not remain significant (P = 0.112) after adjusting for baseline TR severity, coaptation gap, and nonanterior jet localization. Safety endpoints including complications of the right coronary artery, and technical success did not show significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Efficacy and safety of transcatheter direct annuloplasty using Cardioband are not affected by leaflet morphology. Assessment of leaflet morphology should be part of procedural planning in patients with TR and might help to individually tailor repair techniques to patient anatomy.

Left atrial appendage amputation concomitant with cardiac surgery in patients with sinus rhythm.

OBJECTIVES: Since recent data demonstrated the benefit of the amputation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with atrial fibrillation, the long-term impact of LAA amputation on stroke rate and mortality in patients with no history of atrial fibrillation is still unknown. METHODS: Patients with no history of atrial fibrillation who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting by the off-pump technique between 2014 and 2016 were examined retrospectively. Cohorts were divided by the concomitant execution of LAA amputation, and propensity score matching was applied by baseline characteristics. The stroke rate in a 5-year follow-up served as the primary end point. Secondary end points were the mortality rate and rehospitalization in the same time span. RESULTS: A total of 1,522 patients were enrolled, of whom 1,267 and 255 were included in the control group and in the LAA amputation group, respectively. These were matched to 243 patients in each group. In total, patients with an LAA amputation showed a significantly lower rate of stroke in a 5-year follow-up [7.0% vs 2.9%, hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval (0.17; 0.98), p = 0.045]. However, there was no difference in all-cause mortality (P = 0.23) or rehospitalizations (P = 0.68). Subgroup analysis revealed LAA amputation in patients with a CHA2DS2VASc [congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 (doubled), diabetes, stroke (doubled), vascular disease, age 65 to 74 and sex category (female)] score of ≥3 to be associated with a reduction of stroke [9.4% vs 3.1%, hazard ratio, 0.33; 95% confidence interval [0.12; 0.92], P = 0.034]. CONCLUSIONS: LAA amputation concomitant with cardiac surgery reduces the stroke rate in patients with no history of atrial fibrillation and a high CHA2DS2VASc score (≥3) in a 5-year follow-up.