Transapical aortic valve replacement is a safe option in patients with poor left ventricular ejection fraction: results from the Italian Transcatheter Balloon-Expandable Registry (ITER).

OBJECTIVES

The most commonly used accesses for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are the transfemoral (TF-TAVI) and the transapical (TA-TAVI) ones. There are concerns about TA-TAVI use in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The aim of this retrospective multicentre study was to compare the outcomes of TA-TAVI and TF-TAVI in patients with poor LVEF.

METHODS

Patients with LVEF ≤35% were included in the analysis. Data were obtained from the Italian Transcatheter Balloon-Expandable Registry (ITER), which enrolled patients undergoing TAVI with the Sapien bioprosthesis in 33 national centres. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the access: TA or TF. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed in order to evaluate whether the type of approach (TA and TF) has an impact on outcomes.

RESULTS

Between 2007 and 2012, 1882 patients were enrolled in the Registry. LVEF ≤35% was found in 208 (11.1%) patients. TA-TAVI and TF-TAVI were performed in 69 (33.2%) and 139 (66.8%) patients, respectively. Overall 30-day mortality was 11.6% and 7.9% in TA and TF patients, respectively (P = 0.45). Overall Kaplan-Meier survival was significantly higher in the TF-TAVI group (log rank: P = 0.003). Age [odds ratio (OR) 1.066, P = 0.016], creatinine (OR: 2.301, P < 0.001), preoperative permanent pacemaker (OR: 4.662, P = 0.035) and TA approach (OR: 2.577, P = 0.006) were identified as independent predictors of overall mortality at follow-up. However, the TA approach resulted an independent variable of mortality only 3 years after TAVI.

CONCLUSIONS

TAVI yields good results in patients with depressed LVEF. Age, preoperative creatinine and preoperative pacemaker are independently associated with mortality. The TA access is associated with mortality only after 3 years of follow-up, thus probably reflecting a worse general clinical status of these patients.