Evaluation of length of stay after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation with SAPIEN 3 prosthesis A French multicentre prospective observational trial

Summary Background Complications decrease after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), and early discharge is feasible and safe in selected populations. Aims To evaluate length of stay (LOS) and reasons for prolonged hospitalisation after transfemoral TAVI in unselected patients. Methods Patients with severe aortic stenosis, who had transfemoral TAVI with the SAPIEN 3 prosthesis using exclusively local anaesthesia, were prospectively and consecutively included at five French high-volume centres. LOS was calculated from TAVI procedure to discharge. Reasons for prolonged hospitalisation (i.e. > 3 days) were evaluated. Results Between 2017 and 2018, 293 patients were included, with a mean age of 82.4 ± 6.5 years and a mean logistic EuroSCORE of 13.7 ± 9.0%. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1.4%. The median LOS was 5 (3–7) days, and varied considerably between centres (from 2 to 7 days). Sixty-four (21.8%) patients were discharged within 3 days after transfemoral TAVI. Reported reasons for prolonged hospitalisation were complications in 62.2%, loss of autonomy in 3.1%, discharge refusal in 2.2% and logistical reasons in 0.9%. In 31.6% of cases, the investigators reported no apparent reasons. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that LOS after transfemoral TAVI, using the SAPIEN 3 prosthesis and a minimalist approach, varies considerably between centres. In almost a third of cases, hospitalisation was prolonged without any apparent reason. Efforts should be made to educate centres to reduce LOS.