Impact of Aortic Valve Replacement for Severe Aortic Stenosis on Perioperative Outcomes Following Major Noncardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the incidence of major adverse cardiac events and death among severe aortic stenosis patients with and without aortic valve replacement (AVR) before noncardiac surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 491 severe aortic stenosis patients undergoing non-emergency/non-urgent elevated-risk noncardiac surgery between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013, including 203 patients (mean age, 74±10 years, 63.5% men) with previous AVR and 288 patients (mean age, 77±12 years, 55.6% men) without prior AVR.

RESULTS

The incidence of major adverse cardiac events was significantly lower in the AVR group (5.4% vs 20.5%; P<.001), primarily because of the lower incidence of new or worsening heart failure (2.5% vs 17.7%; P<.001), compared with the non-AVR group. No significant differences were observed between the groups with and without AVR in the incidence of death (2.5% vs 3.5%; P=.56), myocardial infarction (0.5% vs 1.4%; P=.48), ventricular arrhythmia (0.0% vs 0.7%; P=.51), or stroke (0.0% vs 0.7%; P=.51) at 30-days. At a median follow-up of 4.2 (interquartile range,1.3-7.5) years, overall mortality was significantly worse in patients without versus with AVR (5-year rate: 57.0% vs 32.7%; P<.001). Symptomatic patients without AVR (n=35) had the worst outcomes overall, including increased 30-day and overall mortality rates, compared with the AVR-group and asymptomatic non-AVR patients.

CONCLUSION

In patients with severe aortic stenosis, AVR before noncardiac surgery was associated with decreased incidence of heart failure after noncardiac surgery and improved overall survival without differences in 30-day survival, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmia, or stroke. Preoperative AVR should be considered in symptomatic patients for whom the benefit of AVR is greatest.