ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prognosis and specific complications of patients with prosthetic mitral valves (PMVs) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: TAVR is performed relatively often in patients with PMVs, but specific risks are not well described. METHODS: A multicenter analysis was conducted, including patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR at 10 centers. Patients' clinical characteristics and outcomes were evaluated according to the presence of a PMV. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population (n = 2,414) was 81 ± 8 years, and 48.8% were men. A total of 91 patients (3.77%) had PMVs. They were more commonly women, younger, and had higher surgical risk. PMVs were implanted a median of 14 years before TAVR, and most patients had mechanical prostheses (73.6%). Eighty-six patients (94.5%) were on long-term vitamin K inhibitor therapy, and bridging antithrombotic therapy was administered in 59 (64.8%). TAVR device embolization occurred in 6.7% (vs. 3.3% in the non-PMV group; p = 0.127), in all instances when distance between the PMV and the aortic annulus was <7 mm. Mortality rates did not show a difference, but the rate of bleeding was higher in patients with PMV (24.2% vs. 16.1%; p = 0.041), even in those treated via the transfemoral approach (22.2% vs. 13.9%; p = 0.048). Indeed, bleeding complications, prior atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, surgical risk, and New York Heart Association functional class were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: TAVR presents similar mortality irrespective of the presence of a PMV. However, patients with PMVs had higher bleeding risk that was independently associated with higher mortality. Risk for valve embolization was relatively high, but it occurred only in patients with PMV-to-aortic annulus distances <7 mm.