Trends of Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Outcomes for Traumatic Cardiac Injury in United States.

Introduction: Traumatic cardiac injury (TCI) poses a significant risk of morbidity and mortality, yet there is a lack of population-based outcomes data for these patients. Methods: The authors examined national yearly trends, demographics, and in-hospital outcomes of TCI using the National Inpatient Sample from 2007 to 2014. We focused on adult patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of TCI, categorizing them into blunt (BTCI) and penetrating (PTCI) cardiac injury. Results: A total of 11,510 cases of TCI were identified, with 7,155 (62.2%) classified as BTCI and 4,355 (37.8%) as PTCI. BTCI was predominantly caused by motor vehicle collisions (66.7%), while PTCI was mostly caused by piercing injuries (67.4%). The overall mortality rate was 11.3%, significantly higher in PTCI compared to BTCI (20.3% vs. 5.9%, χ2(1, N = 11,185) = 94.9, p <0.001). Additionally, 21.5% required blood transfusion, 19.6% developed hemopericardium, and 15.9% suffered from respiratory failure. Procedures such as heart and pericardial repair were more common in PTCI patients. Length of hospitalization and cost of care were also significantly higher for PTCI patients, W(1, N = 11,015) = 88.9, p <0.001). Conclusions: Patients with PTCI experienced higher mortality rates than those with BTCI. Within the PTCI group, young men from minority racial groups and low-income households had poorer outcomes. This highlights the need for early and specialized attention from emergency and cardiothoracic providers for patients in these demographic groups.

Nationwide Trends and Outcomes for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in End-Stage Kidney Disease and Stable Coronary Artery Disease.

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis have an increased burden of coronary artery disease (CAD). This study assessed the trend and outcomes for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) in patients with ESKD and stable CAD. We conducted a longitudinal study using the United States Renal Data System of patients with ESKD and stable CAD who underwent CABG from the years 2009 to 2017. The outcomes included in-hospital, long-term mortality, and repeat revascularization. The follow-up was until death, end of Medicare AB coverage, or December 31, 2018. A total of 11,952 patients were identified. The mean age was 62.8 years, 68% were male, and 67% were white. The common co-morbidities included hypertension (97%), diabetes mellitus (75%), and congestive heart failure (53%). A significant decrease in CABG procedures from 2.9 to 1.3 procedures per 1,000 patients with ESKD (p <0.001) was noted during the years studied. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 5.9%, and there was a significant decrease over the study period (p = 0.01). Although the 30-day mortality rate was 6.9% and remained steady (p = 0.14), the 1-year mortality rate was 22.8% and decreased significantly (p <0.001). At 5 years, the overall survival rate was 35%, and patients with internal mammary artery grafts showed better survival than those without (36% vs 25%). In conclusion, there has been a decrease in CABG procedures performed in patients with ESKD with stable CAD with decreasing in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Those with an internal mammary artery graft do better, but the overall long-term survival remains dismal in this population. There remains need for caution and individualization of revascularization decisions in this high-risk population.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic insufficiency in a patient with aortic root Thrombus and left ventricular assist device: A risk worth taking?

A 61-year-old man with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy post HeartMate 3 (Abbott laboratories, Chicago, Illinois, USA) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant was hospitalized after he had recurrent ventricular tachycardia requiring implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks. His transthoracic echocardiogram and computed tomography angiography of the chest showed presence of trace aortic insufficiency (AI) and aortic root thrombus (ART) of non-coronary cusp without obstruction of right or left coronary artery ostium despite therapeutic international normalized ratio. He presented again 3 months later with worsening heart failure signs and symptoms. Transesophageal echocardiogram showed progression to severe AI and persistent ART. Despite hemodynamically guided LVAD speed optimization, inotropic support, and diuresis, the patient continued to deteriorate with worsening renal function. The patient was not a transplant candidate due to frailty. After multi-disciplinary discussion he underwent successful 29-Sapien S3 (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) transcatheter aortic valve replacement utilizing distal protection filters in bilateral internal carotid arteries for stroke prevention. This case provides novel insight to physicians treating LVAD patients regarding management of severe AI in the setting of ART. Learning objective: We report a rare approach employed for management of aortic insufficiency (AI) in a patient who also had an aortic root thrombus and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that traditionally requires cardiac transplantation. Our patient had a favorable outcome with a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement. With this case, we hope to generate awareness amongst physicians treating patients about management alternatives and approach of a commonly encountered, life-threatening complication of AI in patients with LVAD.

Transcatheter Repair for Patients with Tricuspid Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: Severe tricuspid regurgitation is a debilitating condition that is associated with substantial morbidity and often with poor quality of life. Decreasing tricuspid regurgitation may reduce symptoms and improve clinical outcomes in patients with this disease. METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized trial of percutaneous tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) for severe tricuspid regurgitation. Patients with symptomatic severe tricuspid regurgitation were enrolled at 65 centers in the United States, Canada, and Europe and were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either TEER or medical therapy (control). The primary end point was a hierarchical composite that included death from any cause or tricuspid-valve surgery; hospitalization for heart failure; and an improvement in quality of life as measured with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), with an improvement defined as an increase of at least 15 points in the KCCQ score (range, 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life) at the 1-year follow-up. The severity of tricuspid regurgitation and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 350 patients were enrolled; 175 were assigned to each group. The mean age of the patients was 78 years, and 54.9% were women. The results for the primary end point favored the TEER group (win ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 2.13; P = 0.02). The incidence of death or tricuspid-valve surgery and the rate of hospitalization for heart failure did not appear to differ between the groups. The KCCQ quality-of-life score changed by a mean (±SD) of 12.3±1.8 points in the TEER group, as compared with 0.6±1.8 points in the control group (P<0.001). At 30 days, 87.0% of the patients in the TEER group and 4.8% of those in the control group had tricuspid regurgitation of no greater than moderate severity (P<0.001). TEER was found to be safe; 98.3% of the patients who underwent the procedure were free from major adverse events at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Tricuspid TEER was safe for patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation, reduced the severity of tricuspid regurgitation, and was associated with an improvement in quality of life. (Funded by Abbott; TRILUMINATE Pivotal ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03904147.).

Prophylactic Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion in Cardiac Surgery Patients With Elevated CHA2DS2-VASc Score: Results of the Randomized ATLAS Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with elevated CHA2DS2-VASc scores are at high risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) and thromboembolic events (TE) after cardiac surgery. Left atrial appendage exclusion (LAAE) is a permanent, continuous approach to stroke prevention in AF, overcoming limitations of oral anticoagulation (OAC). We report ATLAS trial results focused on LAAE technical success and perioperative safety and TE rates with and without LAAE in cardiac surgery patients who developed postoperative AF (POAF). METHODS: ATLAS (NCT02701062) was a prospective, multicenter, feasibility trial. Patients age ≥18 years, undergoing structural heart procedure, with no preoperative AF, CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2, and HAS-BLED ≥2 were randomized 2:1 to LAAE or no LAAE. Patients who developed POAF and/or received LAAE were followed for 1 year. LAAE was evaluated with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: A total of 562 patients were randomized to LAAE (n = 376) or no LAAE (n = 186). Mean CHA2DS2-VASc (3.4 vs 3.4) and HAS-BLED (2.8 vs 2.9) scores were similar for LAAE and no LAAE groups. LAAE success (no flow nor residual stump >10 mm) was 99%. One LAAE-related serious adverse event (0.27%) occurred and was resolved without sequelae. There were 44.3% of patients who developed POAF. Through 1 year, 3.4% of LAAE patients and 5.6% of no LAAE patients had TE. OAC was used by 32.5% of POAF patients. Bleeding was higher with OAC than without (16.1% vs 5.4%, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: ATLAS demonstrated a high rate of successful LAAE with low LAAE-related serious adverse events in cardiac surgery patients. Study results should be considered in future trial design to further evaluate prophylactic LAAE for stroke prevention in cardiac surgery patients with elevated stroke risk.

Hybrid repair of acute type B dissection with aberrant right subclavian artery and bicarotid trunk.

Patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD) often present as an emergency. Operative repair of TBAD can be indicated for selected patients in the setting of hemodynamic instability or rupture. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair of TBAD has achieved significant popularity. Variant aortic arch anatomy can present a significant clinical challenge in patients with an inadequate proximal landing zone for thoracic endovascular aortic repair. A three-stage, hybrid aortic arch debranching and endovascular repair of a ruptured TBAD in a patient with a bicarotid trunk and an aberrant right subclavian artery was successfully performed using a unique technical approach.

2-Year Outcomes After Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: The Evolut Low Risk Trial (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients) showed that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a supra-annular, self-expanding valve was noninferior to surgery for the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 2 years. This finding was based on a Bayesian analysis performed after 850 patients had reached 1 year of follow-up. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to report the full 2-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes for patients enrolled in the Evolut Low Risk Trial. METHODS: A total of 1,414 low-surgical risk patients with severe aortic stenosis were randomized to receive TAVR or surgical AVR. An independent clinical events committee adjudicated adverse events, and a central echocardiographic core laboratory assessed hemodynamic endpoints. RESULTS: An attempted implant was performed in 730 TAVR and 684 surgical patients from March 2016 to May 2019. The Kaplan-Meier rates for the complete 2-year primary endpoint of death or disabling stroke were 4.3% in the TAVR group and 6.3% in the surgery group (P = 0.084). These rates were comparable to the interim Bayesian rates of 5.3% with TAVR and 6.7% with surgery (difference: -1.4%; 95% Bayesian credible interval: -4.9% to 2.1%). All-cause mortality rates were 3.5% vs 4.4% (P = 0.366), and disabling stroke rates were 1.5% vs 2.7% (P = 0.119), respectively. Between years 1 and 2, there was no convergence of the primary outcome curves. CONCLUSIONS: The complete 2-year follow-up from the Evolut Low Risk Trial found that TAVR is noninferior to surgery for the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke, with event rates that were slightly better than those predicted by using the Bayesian analysis. (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients [Evolut Low Risk Trial]; NCT02701283).

Outcomes in Patients With Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis (from the Evolut Low Risk Trial).

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has comparable outcomes with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis, including those at low risk for surgery. Less is known about TAVI outcomes in asymptomatic patients. This analysis compares clinical, hemodynamic, and quality of life (QOL) outcomes after TAVI or SAVR for low-risk asymptomatic patients. The randomized Evolut Low Risk trial enrolled asymptomatic patients treated with TAVI (n = 76) and SAVR (n = 62). New York Heart Association functional class I identified patients without symptoms. Clinical outcomes, echocardiographic findings, and QOL in both groups were compared 30 days and 12 months after AVR. Asymptomatic patients had a mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score of 1.7 ± 0.6, 73% were men, and mean age was 74.2 ± 5.8 years. The composite end point of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke was similar at 12 months in patients with TAVI (1.3%) and SAVR (6.5%; p = 0.11), although patients with SAVR tended to have higher rates of all-cause mortality (4.8%) compared with patients with TAVI (0.0%, p = 0.05). Patients with TAVI had lower mean aortic valve gradients (8.1 ± 3.2 mm Hg) and larger mean effective orifice area (2.3 ± 0.6 mm Hg) than patients with SAVR (10.8 ± 3.8; p <0.001 and 1.9 ± 0.6; p = 0.001, respectively), and showed significant improvement in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores from baseline to 30 days (∆12.1 ± 23.6; p <0.001), whereas patients with SAVR did not (∆2.2 ± 20.3; p = 0.398). Patients with TAVI and SAVR had a significant improvement in QOL by 12 months compared with baseline. In conclusion, low risk asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI had comparable clinical outcomes to SAVR, with superior valve performance and faster QOL improvement.

The Impact of Transfusions on Mortality After Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: An increasing body of evidence suggests that packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality after transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement. It remains unclear whether PRBC transfusion is a surrogate marker or truly an independent risk factor for mortality after aortic valve replacement in different populations. METHODS: The Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (SURTAVI) trial randomized 1660 patients with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis at intermediate risk for operative death to transcatheter aortic valve replacement or surgical aortic valve replacement. Baseline characteristics and outcomes including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 30 days and thereafter were compared between participants with and participants without PRBC transfusion. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were fitted to estimate the effect of PRBC transfusion on mortality after adjustment for comorbidities and procedural complications. RESULTS: Patients receiving PRBC were older, more commonly female and frail, with more comorbidities. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality baseline score was higher in the transfused group. After adjustment for these differences, PRBC transfusion was associated with mortality at 30 days, but not thereafter. The effect of PRBC on mortality (hazard ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.11; P = .304) at 30 days was not independent of procedural complications (hazard ratio 21.04; 95% CI, 7.26 to 60.95; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Poor health status, procedural complications, PRBC transfusion, and mortality are correlated with each other. Transfusion of PRBC did not independently increase risk for mortality. In this intermediate-risk population, transfusion appears to be a risk marker of chronic conditions and periprocedural complications as opposed to a risk factor for postprocedural mortality. (Clinical trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01586910.).

Three-Year Outcomes With a Contemporary Self-Expanding Transcatheter Valve From the Evolut PRO US Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. PVR continues to plague TAVR jeopardizing long-term results. New device iterations, such as the self-expandable Evolut PRO valve, aim to decrease PVR while maintaining optimal hemodynamics. This study sought to evaluate clinical and hemodynamic performance of the Evolut PRO system at 3 years. METHODS: The Evolut PRO US Clinical Study included 60 patients at high or extreme surgical risk undergoing TAVR with the Evolut PRO valve at 8 centers in the United States. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 criteria and included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, disabling stroke and valve complications. An independent core laboratory centrally assessed all echocardiographic measures. RESULTS: At 3 years, all-cause mortality was 25.8% (cardiovascular mortality 16.5%) and the disabling stroke rate was 10.7%. There were no cases of repeat valve intervention, endocarditis or coronary obstruction. Valve thrombosis was identified in 1 patient 2 years post-procedure and was treated medically. Hemodynamics at 3 years included a mean gradient of 7.2 ± 4.5 mm Hg, an effective orifice area of 2.0 ± 0.5 cm2, and 88.2% of patients had no or trace PVR. The remaining patients had mild PVR. Most of the surviving patients (80.6%) had New York Heart Association class I symptoms at 3 years. CONCLUSION: Outcomes at 3-years following TAVR with a contemporary self-expanding prosthesis are favorable, with no signal of valve deterioration, excellent hemodynamics including very low prevalence of PVR.

Trimethylamine-N-oxide acutely increases cardiac muscle contractility.

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a uremic metabolite that is elevated in the setting of CKD, has been implicated as a nontraditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While association studies have linked elevated plasma levels of TMAO to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, its direct effect on cardiac and smooth muscle function remains to be fully elucidated. We hypothesized that pathological concentrations of TMAO would acutely increase cardiac and smooth muscle contractility. These effects may ultimately contribute to cardiac dysfunction during CKD. High levels of TMAO significantly increased paced, ex vivo human cardiac muscle biopsy contractility (P < 0.05). Similarly, TMAO augmented contractility in isolated mouse hearts (P < 0.05). Reverse perfusion of TMAO through the coronary arteries via a Langendorff apparatus also enhanced cardiac contractility (P < 0.05). In contrast, the precursor molecule, trimethylamine (TMA), did not alter contractility (P > 0.05). Multiphoton microscopy, used to capture changes in intracellular calcium in paced, adult mouse hearts ex vivo, showed that TMAO significantly increased intracellular calcium fluorescence (P < 0.05). Interestingly, acute administration of TMAO did not have a statistically significant influence on isolated aortic ring contractility (P > 0.05). We conclude that TMAO directly increases the force of cardiac contractility, which corresponds with TMAO-induced increases in intracellular calcium but does not acutely affect vascular smooth muscle or endothelial function of the aorta. It remains to be determined if this acute inotropic action on cardiac muscle is ultimately beneficial or harmful in the setting of CKD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate for the first time that elevated concentrations of TMAO acutely augment myocardial contractile force ex vivo in both murine and human cardiac tissue. To gain mechanistic insight into the processes that led to this potentiation in cardiac contraction, we used two-photon microscopy to evaluate intracellular calcium in ex vivo whole hearts loaded with the calcium indicator dye Fluo-4. Acute treatment with TMAO resulted in increased Fluo-4 fluorescence, indicating that augmented cytosolic calcium plays a role in the effects of TMAO on force production. Lastly, TMAO did not show an effect on aortic smooth muscle contraction or relaxation properties. Our results demonstrate novel, acute, and direct actions of TMAO on cardiac function and help lay the groundwork for future translational studies investigating the complex multiorgan interplay involved in cardiovascular pathogenesis during CKD.

Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement with a Self-Expanding Valve in Low-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) is an alternative to surgery in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at increased risk for death from surgery; less is known about TAVR in low-risk patients. METHODS: We performed a randomized noninferiority trial in which TAVR with a self-expanding supraannular bioprosthesis was compared with surgical aortic-valve replacement in patients who had severe aortic stenosis and were at low surgical risk. When 850 patients had reached 12-month follow-up, we analyzed data regarding the primary end point, a composite of death or disabling stroke at 24 months, using Bayesian methods. RESULTS: Of the 1468 patients who underwent randomization, an attempted TAVR or surgical procedure was performed in 1403. The patients' mean age was 74 years. The 24-month estimated incidence of the primary end point was 5.3% in the TAVR group and 6.7% in the surgery group (difference, -1.4 percentage points; 95% Bayesian credible interval for difference, -4.9 to 2.1; posterior probability of noninferiority >0.999). At 30 days, patients who had undergone TAVR, as compared with surgery, had a lower incidence of disabling stroke (0.5% vs. 1.7%), bleeding complications (2.4% vs. 7.5%), acute kidney injury (0.9% vs. 2.8%), and atrial fibrillation (7.7% vs. 35.4%) and a higher incidence of moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (3.5% vs. 0.5%) and pacemaker implantation (17.4% vs. 6.1%). At 12 months, patients in the TAVR group had lower aortic-valve gradients than those in the surgery group (8.6 mm Hg vs. 11.2 mm Hg) and larger effective orifice areas (2.3 cm2 vs. 2.0 cm2). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at low surgical risk, TAVR with a self-expanding supraannular bioprosthesis was noninferior to surgery with respect to the composite end point of death or disabling stroke at 24 months. (Funded by Medtronic; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02701283.).

5-Year Outcomes of Self-Expanding Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in High-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: The CoreValve U.S. Pivotal High Risk Trial was the first randomized trial to show superior 1-year mortality of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) among high operative mortality-risk patients. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to compare TAVR to SAVR for mid-term 5-year outcomes of safety, performance, and durability. METHODS: Surgical high-risk patients were randomized (1:1) to TAVR with the self-expanding bioprosthesis or SAVR. VARC-1 (Valve Academic Research Consortium I) definitions were applied. Severe hemodynamic structural valve deterioration was defined as a mean gradient ≥40 mm Hg or a change in gradient ≥20 mm Hg or new severe aortic regurgitation. Five-year follow-up was planned. RESULTS: A total of 797 patients were randomized at 45 U.S. centers, of whom 750 underwent an attempted implant (TAVR = 391, SAVR = 359). The overall mean age was 83 years, and the STS score was 7.4%. All-cause mortality rates at 5 years were 55.3% for TAVR and 55.4% for SAVR. Subgroup analysis showed no differences in mortality. Major stroke rates were 12.3% for TAVR and 13.2% for SAVR. Mean aortic valve gradients were 7.1 ± 3.6 mm Hg for TAVR and 10.9 ± 5.7 mm Hg for SAVR. No clinically significant valve thrombosis was observed. Freedom from severe SVD was 99.2% for TAVR and 98.3% for SAVR (p = 0.32), and freedom from valve reintervention was 97.0% for TAVR and 98.9% for SAVR (p = 0.04). A permanent pacemaker was implanted in 33.0% of TAVR and 19.8% of SAVR patients at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows similar mid-term survival and stroke rates in high-risk patients following TAVR or SAVR. Severe structural valve deterioration and valve reinterventions were uncommon. (Safety and Efficacy Study of the Medtronic CoreValve® System in the Treatment of Symptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis in High Risk and Very High Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement; NCT01240902).

Impact of Annular Size on Outcomes After Surgical or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: This analysis evaluates the relationship of annular size to hemodynamics and the incidence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) in surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients. METHODS: The CoreValve US Pivotal High Risk Trial, described previously, compared TAVR using a self-expanding valve with SAVR. Multislice computed tomography was used to categorize TAVR and SAVR subjects according to annular perimeter-derived diameter: large (≥26 mm), medium (23 to <26 mm), and small (<23 mm). Hemodynamics, PPM, and clinical outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: At all postprocedure visits, mean gradients were significantly lower for TAVR compared with SAVR in small and medium size annuli (p < 0.001). Annular size was significantly associated with mean gradient after SAVR, with small annuli having the highest gradients (p < 0.05 at all timepoints); gradients were similar across all annular sizes after TAVR. In subjects receiving SAVR, the frequency of PPM was significantly associated with annular size, with small annuli having the greatest incidence. No difference in PPM incidence by annular sizing was observed with TAVR. In addition, TAVR subjects had significantly less PPM than SAVR subjects in small and medium annuli (p < 0.001), with no difference in the incidence of PPM between TAVR and SAVR in large annuli (p = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Annular size has a significant effect on hemodynamics and the incidence of PPM in SAVR subjects, not observed in TAVR subjects. With respect to annular size, TAVR results in better hemodynamics and less PPM for annuli less than 26 mm and should be strongly considered when choosing a tissue valve for small and medium size annuli.

Early Outcomes With the Evolut PRO Repositionable Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve With Pericardial Wrap.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the Medtronic Evolut PRO Transcatheter Aortic Valve System in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. BACKGROUND: A next-generation self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve was designed with an external pericardial wrap with the intent to reduce paravalvular leak while maintaining the benefits of a low-profile, self-expanding, and repositionable supra-annular valve. METHODS: The Medtronic Evolut PRO Clinical Study included 60 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the Evolut PRO valve at 8 investigational sites in the United States. Clinical outcomes at 30 days were evaluated using Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. The 2 primary safety endpoints were the incidence of all-cause mortality at 30 days and the incidence of disabling stroke at 30 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with no or trace prosthetic valve regurgitation at 30 days. An independent echocardiographic core laboratory (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota) was used to adjudicate all echocardiographic assessments. RESULTS: All 60 patients received the Evolut PRO valve. At 30 days, 1 patient (1.7%) died and 1 patient (1.7%) experienced a nonfatal disabling stroke. Paravalvular regurgitation at 30 days was absent or trace in 72.4% of patients and was mild in the remainder of patients, with no patients having worse than mild paravavlular leak. The mean atrioventricular gradient was 6.4 ± 2.1 mm Hg and effective orifice area was 2.0 ± 0.5 cm2 at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: The safety and efficacy results of this study support the use of the Evolut PRO System for the treatment of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis in patients who are at increased surgical risk, resulting in excellent hemodynamics and minimal paravalvular leak (The Medtronic TAVR 2.0 US Clinical Study; NCT02738853).

Subclavian/Axillary Access for Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Renders Equivalent Outcomes as Transfemoral.

BACKGROUND: Iliofemoral arterial disease can preclude transfemoral (TF) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR). Transthoracic access by direct aortic or a transapical approach imparts a greater risk of complications and death than TF access. We hypothesized that subclavian/axillary arterial (SCA) access offers equivalent risks and outcomes as TF access. METHODS: The outcomes of 202 patients from the CoreValve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) United States Pivotal Trial Program treated with SCA access were propensity matched with patients treated with TF access and analyzed. RESULTS: Matching was successful, with no significant baseline differences in the SCA group and the TF group, except the SCA group had more past or present smokers (79.2% vs 61.4%, p < 0.001) and fewer patients with anemia requiring transfusion (18.5% vs 27.5%, p = 0.04). SCA patients experienced a significantly longer time from enrollment to procedure (8.6 ± 19.1 vs 5.3 ± 6.3 days; p = 0.02), likely the result of case planning. Significant differences in procedural outcomes include less post-TAVR balloon dilation (17.9% vs 26.7%, p = 0.03) and more general anesthesia (99.0% vs 89.6%, p < 0.001) for the SCA accesses. There were no differences in procedure time (57.8 ± 45.3 vs 57.5 ± 32.1 min, p = 0.94) or Valve Academic Research Consortium I-defined procedure success between groups (p = 0.89). Event rates at 30 days or 1 year were similar, with a trend toward fewer pacemakers with SCA accesses. CONCLUSIONS: Major morbidity and mortality rates SCA-TAVR are equivalent to TF-TAVR. The SCA should be the preferred secondary access site for TAVR because it offers procedural and clinical outcomes comparable to TF-TAVR and applies to most patients who are not TF candidates.

Complications After Self-expanding Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

Procedural complications following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are usually reported as retrospective analyses. We report the first comparison of complications following SAVR or self-expanding TAVR from a prospectively randomized study of high-risk SAVR patients. Three hundred ninety-five TAVR and 402 SAVR patients were prospectively enrolled and randomized 1:1 to TAVR with a CoreValve bioprosthesis or a surgical bioprosthetic valve. The rates of major procedural and vascular complications occurring (periprocedurally (0-3 days) and early (4-30 days)) were compared for TAVR vs SAVR patients. All-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, and major infection were similar in both periods post procedure. Within 0-3 days, the major vascular complication rate was significantly higher with TAVR (P = 0.003). Life-threatening or disabling bleeding (P < 0.001), encephalopathy (P = 0.02), atrial fibrillation (P < 0.001), and acute kidney injury (P < 0.001) were significantly higher with SAVR. Non-iliofemoral TAVR approaches had a higher incidence of major or life-threatening or disabling bleeding at 0-3days (P < 0.05). Procedural complications unique to TAVR included coronary occlusion 0.5% (2) and TAVR pop outs 2.8% (11) with no valve embolizations. Pop outs were similar between iliofemoral 2.8% (9/324) and non-iliofemoral approaches 3.0% (2/66). Procedural complications unique to SAVR included aortic dissection 0.8% (3/357) and injury to other heart structures 2.0% (7/357). The procedural complication profiles of TAVR and SAVR are unique. Intraoperative deaths were seen in TAVR only. Mortality at 3 and 30 days was similar. The higher incidence of some complications likely reflects the greater invasiveness of SAVR in this aged high-risk population.

Safety and Feasibility of Rotational Atherectomy in Elderly Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) followed by transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an alternative to surgery in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and coronary artery disease (CAD). In many, the coronary arteries are severely calcified and best treated with rotational atherectomy (RA). However, RA is not routinely performed in severe AS patients due to safety concerns. There is a paucity of data on the safety of RA in severe AS patients with calcific CAD. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 29 patients with severe AS who underwent elective RA-facilitated PCI at our center between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (mean age, 79.8 ± 8.8 years) were enrolled. Mean aortic valve area was 0.71 ± 0.20 cm², mean aortic valve gradient was 40.32 ± 9.88 mm Hg. All PCIs were successful (mean diameter stenosis, 86.3 ± 7.6%; mean burr size, 1.62 ± 0.19 mm). Nineteen patients (65.5%) required temporary pacemaker. Eight patients (27.6%) required vasopressors during PCI. There was a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) during RA, but without clinical events. No procedure was aborted and there were no deaths or clinical myocardial infarctions. CONCLUSION: RA-facilitated PCI can be safely performed in elderly patients with severe AS and severely calcified CAD with low risk of complications. There was a significant but transient drop in SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR during RA. However, this was not associated with clinically significant adverse events.

Causes of death from the randomized CoreValve US Pivotal High-Risk Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Explore causes and timing of death from the CoreValve US Pivotal High-Risk Trial. METHODS: An independent clinical events committee adjudicated causes of death, followed by post hoc hierarchical classification. Baseline characteristics, early outcomes, and causes of death were evaluated for 3 time periods (selected based on threshold of surgical 30-day mortality and on the differences in the continuous hazard between the 2 groups): early (0-30 days), recovery (31-120 days), and late (121-365 days). RESULTS: Differences in the rate of death were evident only during the recovery period (31-120 days), whereas 15 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) (4.0%) and 27 surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) patients (7.9%) died (P = .025). This mortality difference was largely driven by higher rates of technical failure, surgical complications, and lack of recovery following surgery. From 0 to 30 days, the causes of death were more technical failures in the TAVR group and lack of recovery in the SAVR group. Mortality in the late period (121-365 days) in both arms was most commonly ascribed to other circumstances, comprising death from medical complications from comorbid disease. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality at 1 year in the CoreValve US Pivotal High-Risk Trial favored TAVR over SAVR. The major contributor was that more SAVR patients died during the recovery period (31-121 days), likely affected by the overall influence of physical stress associated with surgery. Similar rates of technical failure and complications were observed between the 2 groups. This suggests that early TAVR results can improve with technical refinements and that high-risk surgical patients will benefit from reducing complications.