Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Full-root Aortic Valve Replacement by Stentless Aortic Xenografts in Patients with Small Aortic Roots
Published on: May 21, 2017
Impact of untreated chronic obstructive coronary artery disease on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve
Ian Persits1, Habib Layoun2, Nicholas P Kondoleon1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Insights
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is safe for patients with untreated obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Expectant management of CAD during TAVR shows low procedural risks and acceptable long-term outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiac Surgery
Background:
- Optimal management of chronic obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not established.
- Current strategies include pre-TAVR percutaneous coronary intervention or expectant management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of untreated obstructive CAD severity on TAVR procedural outcomes and longer-term results.
- To compare outcomes between patients with non-obstructive CAD and varying degrees of obstructive CAD undergoing TAVR.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 1911 TAVR recipients from January 2015 to November 2021.
- Patients were categorized based on CAD severity: non-obstructive, intermediate-risk, high-risk, and extreme-risk obstructive CAD.
- Key outcomes included procedural mortality/complications, major adverse cardiovascular events, and post-TAVR unplanned coronary revascularization.
Main Results:
- Procedural complication rates were low and similar across all CAD severity groups.
- At 21-month follow-up, acute coronary syndrome and unplanned revascularization rates increased with CAD severity (P < .001).
- Multivariable analysis showed no significantly increased risk of mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events based on CAD severity.
Conclusions:
- TAVR can be safely performed in patients with untreated obstructive CAD.
- Expectant management of obstructive CAD during TAVR is associated with low procedural risks.
- Rates of unplanned revascularization and acute coronary syndrome at one year are relatively low, even with obstructive CAD.
Background And Aims:
In transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) recipients, the optimal management of concomitant chronic obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unknown. Some advocate for pre-TAVR percutaneous coronary intervention, while others manage it expectantly. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of varying degrees and extent of untreated chronic obstructive CAD on TAVR and longer-term outcomes.
Methods:
The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of TAVR recipients from January 2015 to November 2021, separating patients into stable non-obstructive or varying degrees of obstructive CAD. The major outcomes of interest were procedural all-cause mortality and complications, major adverse cardiovascular events, and post-TAVR unplanned coronary revascularization.
Results:
Of the 1911 patients meeting inclusion, 75%, 6%, 10%, and 9% had non-obstructive, intermediate-risk, high-risk, and extreme-risk CAD, respectively. Procedural complication rates overall were low (death 0.4%, shock 0.1%, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation 0.1%), with no difference across groups. At a median follow-up of 21 months, rates of acute coronary syndrome and unplanned coronary revascularization were 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively, in the non-obstructive population, rising in incidence with increasing severity of CAD (P < .001 for acute coronary syndrome/unplanned coronary revascularization). Multivariable analysis did not yield a significantly greater risk of all-cause mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events across groups. One-year acute coronary syndrome and unplanned coronary revascularization rates in time-to-event analyses were significantly greater in the non-obstructive (98%) vs. obstructive (94%) subsets (Plog-rank< .001).
Conclusions:
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement can be performed safely in patients with untreated chronic obstructive CAD, without portending higher procedural complication rates and with relatively low rates of unplanned coronary revascularization and acute coronary syndrome at 1 year.
Related Concept Videos
Aortic Regurgitation I: Introduction
Aortic Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Aortic Regurgitation III: Medical Management
Coronary Artery Disease V: Interprofessional Care
Acute Coronary Syndrome II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations
Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies

