Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Using Fascia Iliaca Block as an Alternative Approach to Conscious...

General Anesthesia (GA) and conscious sedation (CS) are anesthetics for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR). We compared TF-TAVR outcomes using a novel anesthetic approach with fascia iliaca block (FIB) plus minimal CS (MCS) versus GA.

This retrospective propensity-matched study included consecutive TF-TAVR patients from January 2013 to December 2017 and dichotomized into FIB-MCS vs. GA. Data were collected from electronic records, Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) database, and the Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) Registry. Primary endpoints were operating room (OR) time, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS). Secondary endpoints were 30-day, 1-year mortality, quality of life, 30-day re-hospitalization rate, failure of FIB-MCS, and hospital safety outcomes.

A total of 304 TF-TAVR patients; FIB-MCS (n = 219) vs. GA (n = 85). Propensity matched 162 patients; FIB-MCS (n = 108) vs. GA (n = 54). FIB-MCS had shorter OR time (197.6 ± 56.3 vs. 248.2 ± 46.3 min, p < 0.001), ICU (67.8 ± 71.7 vs. 84.9 ± 72.1 h, p = 0.004) and hospital LOS (3.2 ± 3.7 vs. 5.9 ± 3.5 d, p < 0.001). FIB-MCS had lower rate of blood transfusion. FIB-MCA vs. GA 30-day and 1-year mortality were similar in the entire (2.3 vs. 2.4%, p = 1.0; and 8.2 vs. 5.9%, p = 0.49) and matched cohorts (0 vs. 3.7%, p = 0.11 and 7.4 vs. 5.6%, p = 0.75). FIB-MCS were less likely to be re-hospitalized [Odd Ratio: 0.32, CI:0.13-0.76] and 2% to 3% higher KCCQ-12 score.

TF-TAVR using FIB-MCS is feasible and safe with shorter OR time, ICU and hospital LOS, lower risk of 30-day re-hospitalization, similar 30-day and 1-year mortality with better quality of life at 1-year follow-up.