Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Leaflet Thickening in the Evolut Low Risk Sub-Study.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical leaflet thrombosis has been reported after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement, characterized using 4-dimensional computed tomographic imaging by hypoattenuated leaflet thickening (HALT) and reduced leaflet motion (RLM). The incidence and clinical implications of these findings remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, predictors, and hemodynamic and clinical correlates of HALT and RLM after aortic bioprosthetic replacement. METHODS: A prospective subset of patients not on oral anticoagulation enrolled in the Evolut Low Risk randomized trial underwent computed tomographic imaging 30 days and 1 year after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgery. The primary endpoint was the frequency of HALT at 30 days and 1 year, analyzed by an independent core laboratory using standardized definitions. Secondary endpoints included RLM, mean aortic gradient, and clinical events at 30 days and 1 year. RESULTS: At 30 days, the frequency of HALT was 31 of 179 (17.3%) for TAVR and 23 of 139 (16.5%) for surgery; the frequency of RLM was 23 of 157 (14.6%) for TAVR and 19 of 133 (14.3%) for surgery. At 1 year, the frequency of HALT was 47 of 152 (30.9%) for TAVR and 33 of 116 (28.4%) for surgery; the frequency of RLM was 45 of 145 (31.0%) for TAVR and 30 of 111 (27.0%) for surgery. Aortic valve hemodynamic status was not influenced by the presence or severity of HALT or RLM at either time point. The rates of HALT and RLM were similar after the implantation of supra-annular, self-expanding transcatheter, or surgical bioprostheses. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of computed tomographic imaging abnormalities of aortic bioprostheses were frequent but dynamic in the first year after self-expanding transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement, but these findings did not correlate with aortic valve hemodynamic status after aortic valve replacement in patients at low risk for surgery. (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients; NCT02701283).

Short-term results with transcatheter aortic valve replacement for treatment of left ventricular assist device patients with symptomatic aortic insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: After 3 years of continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) support, nearly a third of patients develop at least moderate aortic insufficiency (AI). Percutaneous occluder devices, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), and urgent heart transplantation are available treatment options. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has not been widely used for treating symptomatic AI in patients on LVAD support. METHODS: Retrospective chart review and data analysis from October 2010 through August 2017 was performed. A total of 286 patients with end-stage heart failure (ESHF) were implanted with a durable CF-LVAD. Nine patients subsequently developed significant symptomatic AI, which was treated with TAVR. RESULTS: All 9 patients had 1 TAVR procedure with resolution of AI and were discharged home. Procedural complications include valve migration warranting a second valve for stabilization, retroperitoneal and groin hematoma, and pseudoaneurysm requiring thrombin injection. A significant improvement of the New York Heart Association classification was noted from the time of implant to 6 months. Two patients had unplanned heart failure‒related hospitalizations within 6 months. At 6 months, 89% of patients were alive on LVAD support. CONCLUSIONS: TAVR is a successful treatment modality for LVAD patients who develop symptomatic AI.

Open atrial transcatheter mitral valve replacement in patients with mitral annular calcification.

BACKGROUND: Mitral valve replacement in the setting of severe mitral annular calcification remains a surgical challenge. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) using an aortic balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve is emerging as a potential treatment option for high surgical risk patients. Transseptal, transapical, or transatrial access is not always feasible, so an understanding of alternative implantation techniques is important. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to present a step-by-step description of a contemporary transatrial TMVR technique using balloon-expandable aortic transcatheter heart valves. This procedure has evolved over time to address valve migration, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and paravalvular leak. The authors present a refined technique that has been associated with the most reproducible outcomes. METHODS: A step-by-step description of the TMVR technique and outcomes of 8 patients treated using this technique are described. Baseline patient clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and 30-day post-TMVR outcomes are presented. RESULTS: Eight patients underwent transatrial TMVR at a single institution. Five had previous cardiac surgery. Mean STS score was 8%. Technical success by MVARC (Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium) criteria was 100%. There was zero in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Procedural success by MVARC criteria at 30 days was 100%. Paravalvular leak immediately post-implant was none or trace in 6 and mild in 1. CONCLUSIONS: The technique described is reproducible and was associated with favorable outcomes in this early experience. It represents a useful technique for the treatment of mitral valve disease in the setting of severe annular calcification. A structured and defined implantation technique is critical to investigators as this field evolves.

Open Atrial Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement in Patients With Mitral Annular Calcification.

BACKGROUND: Mitral valve replacement in the setting of severe mitral annular calcification remains a surgical challenge. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) using an aortic balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve is emerging as a potential treatment option for high surgical risk patients. Transseptal, transapical, or transatrial access is not always feasible, so an understanding of alternative implantation techniques is important. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to present a step-by-step description of a contemporary transatrial TMVR technique using balloon-expandable aortic transcatheter heart valves. This procedure has evolved over time to address valve migration, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and paravalvular leak. The authors present a refined technique that has been associated with the most reproducible outcomes. METHODS: A step-by-step description of the TMVR technique and outcomes of 8 patients treated using this technique are described. Baseline patient clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and 30-day post-TMVR outcomes are presented. RESULTS: Eight patients underwent transatrial TMVR at a single institution. Five had previous cardiac surgery. Mean STS score was 8%. Technical success by MVARC (Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium) criteria was 100%. There was zero in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Procedural success by MVARC criteria at 30 days was 100%. Paravalvular leak immediately post-implant was none or trace in 6 and mild in 1. CONCLUSIONS: The technique described is reproducible and was associated with favorable outcomes in this early experience. It represents a useful technique for the treatment of mitral valve disease in the setting of severe annular calcification. A structured and defined implantation technique is critical to investigators as this field evolves.

Quantitative Prediction of Paravalvular Leak in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Based on Tissue-Mimicking 3D Printing.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop a procedure simulation platform for in vitro transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using patient-specific 3-dimensional (3D) printed tissue-mimicking phantoms. We investigated the feasibility of using these 3D printed phantoms to quantitatively predict the occurrence, severity, and location of any degree of post-TAVR paravalvular leaks (PVL). BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that metamaterial 3D printing technique can be used to create patient-specific phantoms that mimic the mechanical properties of biological tissue. This may have applications in procedural planning for cardiovascular interventions. METHODS: This retrospective study looked at 18 patients who underwent TAVR. Patient-specific aortic root phantoms were created using the tissue-mimicking 3D printing technique using pre-TAVR computed tomography. The CoreValve (self-expanding valve) prostheses were deployed in the phantoms to simulate the TAVR procedure, from which post-TAVR aortic root strain was quantified in vitro. A novel index, the annular bulge index, was measured to assess the post-TAVR annular strain unevenness in the phantoms. We tested the comparative predictive value of the bulge index and other known predictors of post-TAVR PVL. RESULTS: The maximum annular bulge index was significantly different among patient subgroups that had no PVL, trace-to-mild PVL, and moderate-to-severe PVL (p = 0.001). Compared with other known PVL predictors, bulge index was the only significant predictor of moderate-severe PVL (area under the curve = 95%; p < 0.0001). Also, in 12 patients with post-TAVR PVL, the annular bulge index predicted the major PVL location in 9 patients (accuracy = 75%). CONCLUSIONS: In this proof-of-concept study, we have demonstrated the feasibility of using 3D printed tissue-mimicking phantoms to quantitatively assess the post-TAVR aortic root strain in vitro. A novel indicator of the post-TAVR annular strain unevenness, the annular bulge index, outperformed the other established variables and achieved a high level of accuracy in predicting post-TAVR PVL, in terms of its occurrence, severity, and location.

First report of a simultaneous transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve and aortic valve replacement in a left ventricular assist device patient.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is standard of care for patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. Although not intended for treatment of primary aortic insufficiency, several transcatheter aortic valve prostheses have been used to treat patients with severe aortic insufficiency (AI), including patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), in whom significant AI is not uncommon. Similarly, transcatheter valve replacements have been used for valve-in-valve treatment, in the pulmonary, aortic, and mitral positions, either via a retrograde femoral approach or antegrade transseptal approach (mitral valve-in-valve). In this case report, we report an LVAD patient with severe aortic insufficiency and severe bioprosthetic mitral prosthetic stenosis, in whom we successfully performed transfemoral aortic valve replacement and transfemoral mitral valve-in-valve replacement via a transseptal approach. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neurological Events Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Their Predictors: A Report From the CoreValve Trials.

BACKGROUND: The risk for stroke after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an important concern. Identification of predictors for stroke is likely to be a critical factor aiding patient selection and management as TAVR use becomes widespread. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients enrolled in the CoreValve US Extreme Risk and High Risk Pivotal Trials or Continued Access Study treated with the self-expanding CoreValve bioprosthesis were included in this analysis. The 1-year stroke rate after TAVR was 8.4%. Analysis of the stroke hazard rate identified an early phase (0-10 days; 4.1% of strokes) and a late phase (11-365 days; 4.3% of strokes). Baseline predictors of early stroke included National Institutes of Health stroke scale score >0, prior stroke, prior transient ischemic attack, peripheral vascular disease, absence of prior coronary artery bypass surgery, angina, low body mass index (<21 kg/m(2)), and falls within the past 6 months. Significant procedural predictors were total time in the catheterization laboratory or operating room, delivery catheter in the body time, rapid pacing used during valvuloplasty, and repositioning of the prosthesis. Predictors of stroke between 11 and 365 days were small body surface area, severe aortic calcification, and falls within the past 6 months. There were no significant imaging predictors of early or late stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Predictors of early stroke after TAVR included clinical and procedural factors; predictors of later stroke were limited to patient but not anatomic characteristics. These findings indicate that further refinement of imaging to identify anatomic factors predisposing to embolization may help improve stroke prediction in patients undergoing TAVR. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT01240902, NCT01531374.

A decision support model for prescribing internal cardiac defibrillators.

PURPOSE: Automatic internal cardiac defibrillators have various indications for placement. However, some patients may not fully benefit from this technology and the devices are expensive. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to describe a development model for clinical decision support to help providers offer their patients a more effective decision-making process. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A decision tree was built based on previous trials described in the cardiac literature. FINDINGS: A decision-making model for implanting these expensive but lifesaving devices is developed and a model for testing them (pre- and post-implantation) is described. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The model could be used to develop prospective trials. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper demonstrates that the project's goal is better quality and cost-effective care.