For patients with aortic valve disease who require replacement of their native valve, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has been the standard of care. Due to the hemorrhage and thromboembolic risks of long-term anticoagulation therapy for mechanical prosthesis, bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) has a trend to be used in younger patients, which raising the concern for the durability of bioprosthetic valves. The newly published 5-year outcomes of PERIGON trial, with no structural valve deterioration, again demonstrated the favorable durability of the new generation bioprosthetic valves, further providing the evidence of using bioprosthetic AVR in younger patients. At the meantime, the rapid progress of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has brought a new treatment option. For younger patients with low risks, choosing SAVR or TAVI becomes a critical decision. This paper reviews the outcomes of PERIGON trial and its implications to the clinical practice and research of bioprosthetic AVR.
Traditional surgical aortic valve replacement is associated with a high risk of serious complications, especially in elderly patients with other preoperative diseases and unable to undergo thoracotomy. Therefore, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is now the accepted standard treatment for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis at elevated risk for conventional surgical valve replacement. Currently, guidelines propose the use of dual antiplatelet therapy for the prevention of thromboembolic events after TAVI in the patients without an indication for oral anticoagulation. While, this strategy is empiric and largely based on expert consensus extrapolated from the arena of percutaneous coronary intervention. Antithrombotic therapy is associated with a significant occurrence of both thrombotic and bleeding complications, thus, the balance between thrombotic and bleeding risk is critical. This review summarizes current guidelines and the evidence underpinning them and explores the rational for using antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant strategies after TAVI.
ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical experience in the treatment of high-risk patients with severe aortic valve disease by transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) via heart apex approach and to evaluate the early efficacy.MethodFive patients who underwent TAVI via heart apex approach from September 2017 to February 2019 in Henan Thoracic Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 3 males and 2 females, aged 65-84 (74.6±4.5) years.ResultAll operations were performed through a small left incision into the thoracic cavity (3-5 cm), and then through the J-Valve transport system, the aortic valve was successfully released via heart apex after precise positioning under digital subtraction angiography. One patient developed ventricular fibrillation during the operation, and the operation was completed with the assistance of emergency femoral arteriovenous catheterization cardiopulmonary bypass; one patient underwent percutaneous coronary intervention first because of severe coronary stenosis; one patient had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation during the perioperative period, and had hepatorenal insufficiency and thrombocytopenia after the operation, and was improved after medical treatment; one patient had perivalvular leak during the operation, and was improved after re-implantation of the valve; one patient was in stable condition during operation and recovered smoothly after operation. Surgery was successful in all 5 patients. The follow-up time was 2-19 months, and the early clinical effect was good.ConclusionThe short-term clinical efficacy of TAVI via heart apex approach in the treatment of high-risk severe aortic valve disease is definite and safe, but the long-term and medium-term effects need to be further evaluated.
Objective To analyze predictive factors, clinical implications and prognosis effects of new-onset conduction block after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods The clinical data of 86 patients who underwent TAVI through transfemoral approach from 2019 to 2021 in Fujian Provincial Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 59 males and 27 females with an average age of 72.9±8.0 years. The patients were divided into a normal group and a new-onset conduction block group according to whether there was new-onset conduction block after operation, and then the new-onset conduction block group was subdivided into a left bundle branch block (LBBB) group (28 patients) and a complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) group (11 patients). We compared the hemodynamics and TAVI-related complications between the postoperative and early follow-up periods, and used the multivariate logistic regression models to identify risk factors for the new-onset conduction block. Results The median EuroSCORE of all patients were 8 (2) points before the operation. In the postoperative and early follow-up periods, the hemodynamics and TAVI-related complications had no statistical difference between the new-onset conduction block group and the normal group (P>0.05). The incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation (81.8%, 9/11) and mortality due to cardiac causes (18.1%, 2/11) in the CAVB group were significantly higher than those in the normal group and theLBBB group (P<0.05). Female, severe calcification of the aortic valve, too large valve size and deep valve implants were the risk factors for new-onset conduction block after TAVI. ConclusionThe incidence of LBBB and CAVB is high after TAVI, however, both of them do not significantly effect the hemodynamics of the patients. Higher incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation is found in the CAVB group which affects the rate of rehospitalization and mortality. Female patients, severe calcification of the aortic valve, too large valve size and deep valve implants are the risk factors for the new-onset conduction block after TAVI.