In-hospital outcomes of transapical versus surgical aortic valve replacement: from the U.S. national inpatient sample

OBJECTIVE To compare the outcomes of transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TA-TAVR)and surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR)using a large US population sample.METHODS The U.S.National Inpatient Sample was queried for all patients who underwent TA-TAVR or SAVR during the years2016-2017.The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality.Secondary outcomes were in-hospital stroke,pericardiocentesis,pacemaker insertion,mechanical ventilation,vascular complications,major bleeding,acute kidney injury,length of stay,and cost of hospitalization.Outcomes were modeled using multi-variable logistic regression for binary outcomes and generalized linear models for continuous outcomes.RESULTS A total of 1560 TA-TAVR and 44,280 SAVR patients were included.Patients who underwent TA-TAVR were older and frailer.Compared to SAVR,TA-TAVR correlated with a higher mortality(4.5%vs.2.7%,effect size(SMD)=0.1)and higher periprocedural complications.Following multivariable analysis,both TA-TAVR and SAVR had a similar adjusted risk for in-hospital mortality.TA-TAVR correlated with lower odds of bleeding with(adjusted OR(aOR)=0.26;95%CI:0.18-0.38;P<0.001),and a shorter length of stay(adjusted mean ratio(aMR)=0.77;95%CI:0.69-0.84;P<0.001),but higher cost(aMR=1.18;95%CI:1.10-1.28;P<0.001).No significant differences in other study outcomes.In subgroup analysis,TA-TAVR in patients with chronic lung disease had higher odds for mortality(aOR=3.11;95%CI:1.37-7.08;P=0.007).CONCLUSION The risk-adjusted analysis showed that TA-TAVR has no advantage over SAVR except for patients with chronic lung disease where TA-TAVR has higher mortality.

Delayed Coronary Ostial Stenosis after Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement and Root Enlargement Treated with Beating Heart On-Pump CABG

Coronary ostial stenosis after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is a rare but potentially fatal complication. Surgeons must have a high level of vigilance regarding the presentation of acute myocardial ischemia, arrhythmia, and heart failure after AVR. According to most reports, this event can be time-dependent divided into two groups;early acute phase that mostly happens intraoperative during weaning of CPB or in early ICU stay, and late presentation usually appears 1 - 6 months post surgery. Here, we describe an unusual subacute presentation of right coronary ostial stenosis 12 days after SAVR, which was treated successfully with redo beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in low-risk young population:A double edge sword?

Since the advent of transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)in 2002,it has now become the default interventional strategy for symptomatic patients presenting with severe aortic stenosis,particularly in intermediate to highsurgical risk patients.In 2019,the United States Food and Drug Administration approved TAVR in low-risk patients based on two randomized trials.However,these breakthrough trials excluded patients with certain unfavorable anatomies and odd profiles.While currently there is no randomized study of TAVR in young patients,it may be preferred by the young population given the benefits of early discharge,shorter hospital stay,and expedite recovery.Nonetheless,it is important to ruminate various factors including lifetime expectancy,risk of pacemaker implantation,and the need for future valve or coronary interventions in young cohorts before considering TAVR in these patients.Furthermore,the data on long-term durability(>10 years)of TAVR is still unknown given most of the procedures were initially performed in the high or prohibitive surgical risk population.Thus,this editorial aims to highlight the importance of considering an individualized approach in young patients with consideration of various factors including lifetime expectancy while choosing TAVR against surgical aortic valve replacement.

Advanced age and the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implan-tation

Aortic valve stenosis （AS） is common in the elderly. Although surgical replacement of the valve has been the gold standard of management, many patients have been excluded from surgery because they were very old, frail, or had co-morbidities that increased operative risks. In the last decade, transcatheter aortic valve implantation （TAVI） has emerged as a new treatment option suitable for these patients. This article reviews the available literature on the role of TAVI in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis. Published studies showed that elderly individuals who underwent TAVI experienced better in-hospital recovery, and similar short and mid-term mortality compared to those underwent surgical treatment of AS. However, long-term outcomes of TAVI in elderly patients are still unknown. The available data in the literature on the ef-fect of advanced age on clinical outcomes of TAVI are limited, but the data that are available suggest that TAVI is a beneficial and tolerable procedure in very old patients. Some of the expected complications after TAVI are reported more in the oldest patients such as vascular in-jures. Other complications were comparable in TAVI patients regardless of their age group. However, very old patients may need closer monitoring to avoid further morbidities and mortality.

Challenges and opportunities in improving left ventricular remodelling and clinical outcome following surgical and trans-catheter aortic valve replacement

Over the last half century,surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR)has evolved to offer a durable and efficient valve haemodynamically,with low procedural complications that allows favourable remodelling of left ventricular(LV)structure and function.The latter has become more challenging among elderly patients,particularly following trans-catheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI).Precise understanding of myocardial adaptation to pressure and volume overloading and its responses to valve surgery requires comprehensive assessments from aortic valve energy loss,valvular-vascular impedance to myocardial activation,force-velocity relationship,and myocardial strain.LV hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis remains as the structural and morphological focus in this endeavour.Early intervention in asymptomatic aortic stenosis or regurgitation along with individualised management of hypertension and atrial fibrillation is likely to improve patient outcome.Physiological pacing via the His-Purkinje system for conduction abnormalities,further reduction in para-valvular aortic regurgitation along with therapy of angiotensin receptor blockade will improve patient outcome by facilitating hypertrophy regression,LV coordinate contraction,and global vascular function.TAVI leaflet thromboses require anticoagulation while impaired access to coronary ostia risks future TAVI-in-TAVI or coronary interventions.Until comparable long-term durability and the resolution of TAVI related complications become available,SAVR remains the first choice for lower risk younger patients.