Hemodynamic Outcome and Valve Durability Beyond Five Years After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

The aim of this study was to evaluate hemodynamic outcome, structural valve deterioration, and bioprosthetic valve failure beyond 5 years after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Demographic, procedural, and outcome data were obtained from all patients treated with TAVR at our institution from 2006 to 2012. We included all patients with echocardiographic data at baseline and with a follow-up echocardiography more than 5 years after TAVR. Standardized definitions were used to assess durability of transcatheter aortic valves.

A total of 452 patients were treated with apical or transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) from 2006-2012, and 103 (23%) patients were still alive more than 5 years post TAVI. Mean duration of follow-up was 7.0 ± 0.9 years, with a maximum duration of 9.8 years. Seventy-nine of the 103 patients (76.7%) underwent follow-up echocardiography. Mean aortic gradient decreased from 51.8 ± 14.3 mm Hg before TAVR to 11.7 ± 5.8 mm Hg after TAVR (P<.001), and remained stable at 10.6 ± 6.3 mm Hg during late follow-up (P=.26). Bioprosthetic valve failure occurred in 3 patients (3.8%); two of these patients required reintervention. Seven patients (8.9%) had moderate structural valve deterioration, and 1 patient (1.3%) had severe structural valve deterioration.

TAVR with self-expanding and balloon-expandable valves appears to be a long-lasting treatment strategy for severe aortic stenosis with excellent long-term hemodynamic function and very low incidence of structural valve deterioration and bioprosthetic valve failure.