Feasibility and safety of a fully percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve replacement program

This study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of conducting an entire transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program by using percutaneous techniques only.

Surgically assisted transthoracic TAVR has been reported to be associated with more complications and longer hospital stays.

During 2019, all TAVR at a single center were performed by standard transfemoral (TF), intravascular lithotripsy-assisted TF, transaxillary (TAx), or transcaval approach using percutaneous techniques only. No patients were denied TAVR because of access. Procedural and clinical endpoints were categorized using Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria.

In total, 306 consecutive TAVR patients were enrolled (mean age 78.9 ± 7.2 years). Most patients were treated by TF approach (94.8%)-of these, nine (2.9%) were pre-treated with intravascular lithotripsy. A percutaneous TAx and transcaval approach were used in 12 (3.9%) and four patients (1.3%), respectively. There were no procedural deaths and one peri-procedural stroke. Valve performance was satisfying in 298 patients (97.4%); six patients had a moderate aortic regurgitation and two patients had a mean gradient ≥20 mmHg following valve-in-valve procedure. The 30-day major vascular complication and major bleeding rate was 2.3% and 3.9%, respectively. A new permanent pacemaker was implanted in 41 patients (13.4%). Of all patients, 81% were discharged within two days post-TAVR, including 11 out of 12 TAx patients and all transcaval cases.

A fully percutaneous TAVR program is feasible and safe with favorable immediate and early clinical outcomes and allowing a short hospital stay.