Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Full-root Aortic Valve Replacement by Stentless Aortic Xenografts in Patients with Small Aortic Roots
Published on: May 21, 2017
Changes in quality of life in patients with low-flow aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve
Aisha Ahmed1, Said Alsidawi1, Richard Bae1
1Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Background:
We sought to quantify and compare changes in quality of life measures after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with low-flow (LF) and normal-flow (NF) aortic stenosis (AS).
Methods:
We included 297 patients treated with TAVR at Abbott Northwestern Hospital from January 2015 to October 2017. Health status was assessed at baseline and 30 days post-procedure using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 12 (KCCQ-12). Overall (KCCQ-OS) and domain-specific (physical limitation, symptom frequency, quality of life, and social limitation) scores were compared in three subsets of patients as defined by stroke volume index (≤ or >35 ml/m2 ), ejection fraction (EF) (≤ or >40%), and mean gradient (≤ or >40 mmHg).
Results:
Of the 297 patients included, 129 (43%) had NF high-gradient (NF AS group) and 168 (56%) had LF severe AS, including 25 (8%) with low EF (8%) ("Classical" low-flow low-gradient LEF [LF-LG-LEF] group) and 143 (48%) with preserved EF ("Paradoxical" LF-LG group). At baseline, patients with LF-LG-LEF AS had more severe impairment in symptoms frequency (p = .06) but similar KCCQ-OS. At 1-month after TAVR, all groups had moderate improvements in quality of life (Delta KCCQ-OS: "Classical" LF-LG-LEF 18 ± 21, paradoxical AS 14 ± 18, and NF AS 15 ± 16, p = .57). During a median follow-up time of 2.4 years, there was no difference in mortality (p = .34) but patients with paradoxical LF-LG AS had a higher risk of rehospitalization for heart failure (p = .01).
Conclusions:
Patients with LF severe AS derive significant improvements in quality of life measures after TAVR, indistinguishable from patients with NF AS.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Mitral Stenosis IV: Nursing Management
Aortic Regurgitation IV: Nursing Management
Aortic Regurgitation III: Medical Management
Aortic Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Mitral Stenosis III: Medical Management
Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management

