Rotational angiography with motion compensation: first-in-man use for the 3D evaluation of transcatheter valve prostheses.

AIMS

We evaluated a novel motion-compensating 3D reconstruction technique applied to rotational angiography (R-angio) which produces MSCT-like images for evaluation of implanted TAVI prostheses without requiring rapid pacing.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Fifty-one consecutive patients were retrospectively identified who were evaluated with rotational angiography (R-angio) using the Siemens Artis zee angiographic C-arm system after TAVI with a Medtronic CoreValve prosthesis. A novel 3D image reconstruction technique was applied which corrects for cardiac motion. CoreValve frame geometry was evaluated according to the same protocol for MSCT and R-angio at the level of: 1) the inflow, 2) the nadirs, 3) central coaptation, and 4) the commissures. The native aortic annulus dimensions were measured at the nadirs of the three leaflets. Sizing ratio, prosthesis expansion and frame ellipticity were assessed. Good quality 3D reconstructions were obtained in 43 patients (84%) and failure was predictable prior to reconstruction in six of the other seven patients (superposition of radiographically dense object n=4, obesity n=2). Prosthesis inflow ellipticity and expansion were correlated with implantation depth (respectively r=-0.46, p<0.01, and r=0.61, p<0.001). Aortic regurgitation grade ≥2 was associated with greater prosthesis ellipticity at the level of central coaptation (median [25th-75th percentile]: 1.15 [1.10-1.20] vs. 1.08 [1.06-1.12], p=0.009). The inter-observer, inter-modality (MSCT, R-angio) variability in measurement at the level of coaptation for minimum diameter, maximum diameter and area were all low (respectively, mean ±SD:1.2% ±1.2; 1.7% ±1.8 and 2.0% ±1.3).

CONCLUSIONS

R-angio with motion-compensated reconstruction offers new possibilities for evaluation of the post-implantation geometry of percutaneous structural heart prostheses and the potential clinical effects.