Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Influence on Coronary Hemodynamics: A Quantitative Meta-Analysis and Proposed Decision-Making Algorithm

As transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) expands to younger and lower-risk severe aortic stenosis patients, appropriate coronary artery disease treatment is key to reducing long-term adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Recently, studies have been exploring the role of coronary-physiology guided revascularization strategies. Our aim was to investigate whether TAVR influences coronary physiology measurements using quantitative meta-analytic methods.

We performed a Medline and Embase search for studies evaluating coronary physiology indices before and after TAVR. Double independent screening and extractions of baseline, procedural, angiographic, and echocardiographic data were performed. Risk of bias was assessed using the ACROBAT-NRSI tool. Pooled mean difference estimates of coronary hemodynamic indices before and after TAVR were derived using random-effects models with the inverse variance method (RevMan, Review Manager, version 5.3.5; Nordic Cochrane Centre).

Five studies evaluating 250 coronary vessels in 169 severe aortic stenosis patients were quantitatively synthesized. Coronary flow reserve did not change immediately after TAVR in non-diseased vessels (n = 3; mean difference, 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.10-0.32; P=.29; I²=0%; P=.68). Importantly, fractional flow reserve also did not vary significantly following TAVR in both non-diseased (n = 3; mean difference, -0.01; 95% CI, -0.04-0.03; P=.75; I²=41; P=.19) and diseased coronaries (n = 3; mean difference, -0.01; 95% CI, -0.03-0.01; P=.49; I²=0%; P=.46). Similarly, instantaneous wave-free ratio remained stable following TAVR (n = 2; mean difference, 0.00; 95% CI, -0.02-0.02; P>.99; I²=0; P>.99.

Pooled coronary physiology measurements before and after TAVR are similar, but data on variation within individual lesions are limited.