Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the developing world: Lessons learnt and its implications for practice

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an accepted modality of treatment in intermediate and high surgical risk patients of symptomatic severe calcific aortic stenosis (AS). We herein report Indian data of 84 intermediate and high-risk patients who underwent TAVR at two Armed Forces cardiac centres.

Most of the patients underwent TAVR in cardiac catheterization lab by percutaneous transfemoral approach, under conscious sedation. Patients were followed up and echocardiographic parameters were assessed after six months of procedure.

Total of 84 intermediate and high-risk patients underwent TAVR between Jan 2017 and June 2021. Mean age of population was 71.5 ± 8.4 years; 28.5% of patients had bicuspid aortic valve and Mean STS score was 6.34 ± 2.08. Majority (92.8%) patients underwent the procedure under conscious sedation. Self-expanding valves were used in 72.6% and balloon expandable in 27.4% of patients. Predilatation was done in 64% patients while 13% cases underwent post dilatation. Procedural mortality was 2.3%. Rate of permanent pacemaker implantation was 4.9%. Ischemic stroke occurred in 1.1% of patents. There was no case of severe paravalvular leak. Emergency surgical aortic valve replacement was done in 2.4% patients. Procedural success in this study was 97.6%. All-cause mortality was 9.5% at 6 months.

TAVR is an effective treatment modality in intermediate and high-risk Indian patients with severe aortic stenosis. Patients with bicuspid or previous bio prosthetic aortic valves also have a good outcome post TAVR.