Search

Background: Aortic valve calcification is supposed to be a possible cause of embolic stroke or subclinical valve thrombosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We aimed to assess the role of aortic valve calcification in the occurrence of in-hospital clinical complications and survival after TAVR., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed preoperative contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography scans of patients who underwent TAVR on the native aortic valve in our center. Calcium volume was calculated for each aortic cusp, above and below the aortic annulus. Outcomes were recorded according to VARC-2 criteria., Results: Overall, 581 patients were included in the study (SapienXT = 192; Sapien3 = 228; CoreValve/EvolutR = 45; Engager = 5; Acurate = 111). Median survival was 4.98 years (interquartile range 4.41-5.54). Logistic regression identified calcium load beneath the right coronary cusp in left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) as significantly associated with stroke (odds ratio [OR] 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.3; p = 0.0019) and in-hospital mortality (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.004-1.2; p = 0.04), whereas total calcium volume of the LVOT was associated with both in-hospital and 30 day-mortality (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.01-1.4; p = 0.03, and OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.02-1.43; p = 0.029, respectively). Cox regression identified total calcium of LVOT (hazard ratio [HR] 1.18; 95% CI 1.02-1.38; p = 0.026), male sex (HR 1.88; 95% CI 1.06-3.32; p = 0.031), baseline creatinine clearance (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.93-0.98; p < 0.001), and baseline severe aortic regurgitation (HR 7.48; 95% CI 2.76-20.26; p < 0.001) as risk factors associated with lower survival., Conclusion: LVOT calcification is associated with increased risk of peri-procedural stroke and mortality as well as shorter long-term survival., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest TF is consultant for LivaNova. SP is proctor for LivaNova. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. No funding was provided for this study., (Copyright © 2020 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Backgropund and Aim: Postoperative thrombocytopenia after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and aggravating causes were the aim of this retrospective study., Methods: Data of all patients treated with SAVR (n = 1068) and TAVR (n = 816) due to severe aortic valve stenosis was collected at our center from 2010 to 2017. Preprocedural and postprocedural values were collected from electronic patient records., Results: There was a significant drop in platelets in both groups, the TAVR group showed overall superior platelet preservation compared to the AVR group (P < .001). In the SAVR subgroup analysis, a significant difference in platelet preservation was observed between the valve types (P < .001), particularly with the Freedom SOLO valve. In the TAVR subgroup analysis, the valve type did not influence platelet count (PLT) reduction (P = .13). In the SAVR subgroup analyses, PLT was found to be worsened with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) duration., Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia frequently occurs after implantation of a biological heart valve prosthesis, with a higher frequency observed in patients after cardiac surgery rather than TAVR. Although some surgical bioprosthetic models are more susceptible to this phenomenon, CPB duration seems to be a major determinant for the development of postoperative thrombocytopenia., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Several studies reported high rates of postoperative permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation, which has been described as the "Achilles' heel" of sutureless aortic valve replacement (AVR)., Methods: From July 2010 to December 2017, 3,158 patients with symptomatic, severe aortic valve stenosis were referred to the Department of Cardiac Surgery (Klinikum Nürnberg - Paraclesus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany), and 512 received a Perceval sutureless bioprosthesis (LivaNova PLC, London, United Kingdom). Thirty-nine patients who had been discharged with concomitant PPM implantation were reevaluated., Results: After a cumulative follow-up of 1,534 months (100% complete, median 50 months, interquartile range 30 months, maximum 76 months, minimum 3 months), a total of 22 patients were still pacemaker dependent. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed pacemaker-dependent rhythm in 92.0%, 80.0%, 49.4%, and 32.3% of patients at 1, 2, 4, and 5 years, respectively. At Cox regression analysis, pressure during valve deployment (hazard ratio, 79.41; p = 0.0003) and "late-onset" atrioventricular block were found to be independent predictors of sinus rhythm restoration (hazard ratio, 0.16; p = 0.0061). Log-rank test showed significantly lower pacemaker dependency rates in patients with "low-pressure" prosthesis implantation (p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: This study shows that several technical measures, including appropriate annulus decalcification, precise positioning of guiding sutures, release of traction sutures applied to the valve commissures, and ballooning with reduced pressure, all reduce the rate of PPM implantation after sutureless AVR. Furthermore, a high proportion of patients were found to be no longer pacemaker dependent at follow-up., (Copyright © 2019 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To assess the contribution of aortic valve calcification to the occurrence of transient or permanent atrioventricular block (AVB) and the need for permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in a large single-centre cohort., Methods and Results: We retrospectively analysed pre-operative contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography scans of patients who underwent TAVI in our centre between 2012 and 2016. Calcium volume was calculated for each aortic cusp above (aortic valve), and below [left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT)] the basal plane. Clinical and procedural data as well as pre-operative electrocardiograms were evaluated. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors for transient and permanent AVB. A total of 342 patients receiving a balloon-expandable prosthesis were included in the study. Overall incidence of transient and permanent AVB was 4% (n = 14) and 7.6% (n = 26), respectively. On logistic regression analysis, baseline right bundle branch block [odds ratio (OR) 7.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6-20.6; P < 0.01], degree of oversizing (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07 P = 0.02), prior percutaneous coronary intervention (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.3), and LVOT calcification beneath the non-coronary cusp (OR for an increase of 10 mm3 = 1.06, 95% CI 1-1.1; P = 0.03) were found to be independently associated with permanent AVB and PPI, whereas calcification of LVOT beneath the right coronary cusp (OR for an increase of 10 mm3 = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.3; P = 0.02) and balloon post-dilation (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-11.8; P = 0.02) were associated with reversible AVB., Conclusion: Left ventricular outflow tract calcifications are associated with transient and non-reversible AVB after TAVI, and its evaluation could help in predicting onset and reversibility of AVB., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Sutureless aortic valve prostheses have the potential of shortening surgical time, but if this results in improved clinical outcome remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of patients undergoing conventional vs. minimally invasive AVR, with either a stented or sutureless bioprosthesis., Methods: From 2007 to 2015, 627 patients underwent elective isolated AVR and were divided into three groups: patients who underwent sutureless-AVR via J sternotomy (group A, N.=206) and patients who underwent stented-AVR via J sternotomy (group B, N.=247) or full-sternotomy (group C, N.=174)., Results: Patients in group A were significantly older than groups B and C (77±5 vs. 74±7 and 70±8 years; P<0.001). Aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were shorter in group A than in groups B and C. As expected, aortic cross-clamp time was prolonged in group B as compared to groups A and C (60±18 vs. 36±10 and 54±16 min; P<0.001). After multivariate adjustment, minimally invasive AVR resulted in significantly fewer postoperative complications in terms of drainage bleeding and the need for blood transfusions (385±287 vs. 500±338 mL, P=0.006; and 1.3±2.1 vs. 1.8±2.6 IU, P=0.001, respectively). No differences in postoperative outcomes were observed among groups., Conclusions: The minimally invasive approach confers a protective effect against bleeding complications, but it is time-consuming. The use of sutureless valves is associated with significantly shorter surgical times compared with stented bioprostheses. In addition, no differences in mortality were observed among groups, and patients who received a sutureless valve, though significantly older, showed a better clinical outcome than patients who received a stented valve.