ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a widely used, comparably efficient and safe alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Its utilization continues to grow, especially among younger patients. Despite improvements in durability, degeneration and subsequent re-interventions of failed prosthetic valves are still common. Even though valve-in-valve procedures have become more frequent, little is known about the trends over time or about clinical and echocardiographic long-term outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent a valve-in-valve procedure between December 2011 and December 2022 in a large tertiary university hospital were analyzed. Primary outcomes were defined as procedural and device successes as well as event-free survival. Secondary analyses between subsets of patients divided by index valve and date of procedure were performed. RESULTS: Among 1407 procedures, 58 (4%) were valve-in-valve interventions, with an increased frequency observed over time. Overall, technical success was achieved in 88% and device success in 85% of patients. Complications were predominantly minor, with similar success rates among TAVR-in-SAVR (TiSAVR) and TAVR-in-TAVR (TiTAVR). Notably, there were significant and lasting improvements in mean echocardiographic gradients at 1 year. Event-free survival was 76% at one month and 69% at one year. CONCLUSIONS: Over the last decade, a rising trend of valve-in-valve procedures was observed. Despite an increase in procedures, complications show a contrasting decline with improved technical and device success over time. TiSAVR and TiTAVR showed comparable rates of procedural and device success as well as similar outcomes, highlighting the utility of valve-in-valve procedures in an aging population.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Increasing dialysate magnesium (D-Mg2+) appears to be an intriguing strategy to obtain cardiovascular benefits in subjects with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis. To date, however, hemodialysis guidelines do not suggest to increase D-Mg2+ routinely set at 0.50 mmol/L. METHODS: A randomized 4-week crossover study aimed at investigating the consequences of increasing D-Mg2+ from 0.50 to 0.75 mmol/L on arterial stiffness, hemodynamic profile, and endothelial function in subjects undergoing hemodialysis. The long-term effect of higher D-Mg2+ on mineral metabolism markers was investigated in a 6-month follow-up. Data were analyzed by linear mixed models for repeated measures. RESULTS: Data of 39 patients were analyzed. Pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure significantly decreased on the higher D-Mg2+ compared with the standard one by - 0.91 m/s (95% confidence interval - 1.52 to - 0.29; p = 0.01) and - 9.61 mmHg (- 18.89 to - 0.33, p = 0.04), respectively. A significant reduction in systolic blood pressure of - 12.96 mmHg (- 24.71 to - 1.22, p = 0.03) was also observed. No period or carryover effects were observed. During the long-term follow-up phase the higher D-Mg2+ significantly increased ionized and total serum Mg (respectively from 0.54 to 0.64 and from 0.84 to 1.07 mmol/L; mean percentage change from baseline to follow-up + 21% and + 27%; p ≤ 0.001), while parathormone (PTH) decreased significantly (from 36.6 to 34.4 pmol/L; % change - 11%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing dialysate magnesium improves vascular stiffness in subjects undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. The present findings merit a larger trial to evaluate the effects of 0.75 mmol/L D-Mg2+ on major clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was retrospectively registered on the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN 74139255) on 18 June 2020.
