Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Renal Failure on Hemodialysis After Aortic Valve or Root Replacement

The long-term survival and reoperation rate in chronic renal failure (CRF) on hemodialysis (HD) patients after aortic valve/root replacement (AVR/ARR) with a stentless bioprosthesis is unknown. From 1992-2015, 1941 patients underwent AVR/ARR with stentless valve for primary indications of aortic stenosis/insufficiency, root aneurysm, and acute type A aortic dissection, including 93 CRF-HD (64 new-onset postoperative HD, and 29 preoperative HD) and 1848 non-CRF-HD. Data was obtained from the STS database, retrospective chart review, administered surveys and national death index data. Compared to the non-CRF-HD group, the CRF-HD group had significantly higher incidence of diabetes mellitus (28 vs 18%), CAD (49 vs 38%), COPD (31 vs 16%), NYHA class IV (12 vs 4%), atrial fibrillation (24 vs 12%), and previous cardiac surgery (27 vs 16%). Postoperatively, CRF-HD group had a higher reoperation for bleeding (10 vs 4%), length of hospital stays (20 vs 7 days), and operative mortality (23 vs 2.3%), all p < 0.01. The odds ratio of CRF-HD for operative mortality was 8.97. The long-term survival was worse in CRF-HD group than that in non-CRF-HD group [8-year survival: 31% vs 70%, p < 0.0001]. The hazard ratio of CRF-HD for long-term mortality was 2.4. The 10-year cumulative reoperation rate for structural valve deterioration in the CRF-HD group was 6.0% vs 5.0% in the non-CRF-HD group, p = 0.74. Surgeons should consider poor short- and long-term outcomes of patients with high risk of being on dialysis when offering aortic valve/root replacement. Bioprosthesis could be a good option in this patient population.