Uso de anticoagulantes orales directos en pacientes con fibrilación auricular post implante de TAVI: resultados de una encuesta internacional / Use of anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is beneficial in patients with symptomatic severe Aortic Stenosis (AS). There is no consensus about the best anticoagulation strategy for patients with a recent TAVI and with atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are effective to prevent embolic events with a significant lower incidence of bleeding. There is scarce evidence about the use of these drugs in patients undergoing TAVI. AIM: To assess the management of anticoagulation at the moment of discharge of patients with AF and TAVI. Material and Methods: A four question survey was sent to cardiologists involved in TAVI programs in different international centers. Results: The survey was answered by 72 interventional cardiologists. Even with the lack of randomized evidence, in most of the scenarios DOACs are prescribed at discharge in patients with indication for anticoagulation. Also, in patients with high bleeding risk, most cardiologists would perform a left atrial appendage closure. In patients with concomitant coronary artery disease, if a stent was recently implanted, prescription of the combination of a DOAC and one antiplatelet drug was the most common answer. In patients with a former coronary angioplasty, DOAC or Warfarin was the therapy of choice. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of randomized data, interventional cardiologists prescribe DOACs at discharge to patients with AF and TAVI, without following current guidelines in most cases.

Litoplastía iliaco-femoral para implante transcatéter de válvula órtica / Iliac-femoral lithoplasty for a transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Report of one case

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has a lower perioperative risk than traditional surgery mostly when the transfemoral access is used. Some patients have anatomical conditions that contraindicate the use of this route. Lithoplasty is a novel technique that fractures calcium in coronary and peripheral arteries using pulsatile waves transmitted through an angioplasty balloon. We report an 83 year-old male with an aortic stenosis requiring TAVI, with severe calcification of his femoral and aortic arteries. A balloon lithoplasty of the right iliac-femoral tract was carried out, which allowed the use of the transfemoral route to install the aortic prosthesis. The patient had a good subsequent evolution.

Implante percutáneo de válvula aórtica transcatéter por vía femoral en paciente joven con obesidad extrema / Trans femoral TAVI in extremely obese patient with severe aortic stenosis

RESUMEN:TAVI transfemoral en una paciente con obesidad extrema y estenosis aórtica severa. Una mujer extremadamente obesa (IMC 62.5 Kg/M2) con estenosis aórtica severa fue descartada para cirugía bariátrica y reemplazo valvular aórtico. Se efectuó una TAVI por vía transfemoral, sin anestesia general. Se describen cuidadosas técnicas para efectuar la punción femoral y su sellado posterior. La paciente se recuperó sin incidentes, la gradiente transvalvular aórtica se redujo significativamente y hubo mínima insuficiencia valvular.

ABSTRACT: An extremely obese woman (BMI 62.5 Kg/M2) with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis was discarded for bariatric surgery or aortic valve replacement. A transfemoral TAVI was performed, without general anesthesia. Careful techniques to perform and seal the transfemoral puncture are described. The patient recovered uneventfully with a significant decrease in aortic valve gradient and minimal aortic insufficiency.

Implante concomitante de MitraClip y cierre de orejuela izquierda: importancia de la puncoón transeptal y sus implicancias técnicas: caso clínico / Concomitant deployment of MitraClip devices and left atrial appendage closure: report of one case

We report a 65-years old woman with a history of permanent atrial fibrillation with high risk for ischemic and bleeding events. She developed a heart failure with severely impaired left ventricular ejection fraction and severe secondary mitral regurgitation. Given her high surgical risk, using transesophageal echocardiography guidance, a concomitant deployment of two MitraClip devices using a high-posterior septal puncture and a left atrial appendage closure with an Amplatzer Amulet occluder were performed through the same access.