Long-Term Outcomes Associated With Permanent Pacemaker Implantation in Low-Risk Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement

Permanent pacemaker implantation is associated with an increased risk of mortality and heart failure after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

The purpose of this study was to analyze long-term prognosis of permanent pacemaker implantation following SAVR on low-risk patients.

This nationwide, population-based, observational cohort study included all patients who underwent SAVR in Sweden between 2001 and 2018 with low surgical risk, defined as logistic EuroSCORE I <10% or EuroSCORE II <4%. Patients received a permanent pacemaker implantation within 30 days after SAVR. Main outcomes were all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, and endocarditis. Regression standardization addressed confounding.

We included 19,576 patients with low surgical risk. Of these, 732 (3.7%) patients received a permanent pacemaker within 30 days after SAVR. The mean age was 68 years and 33% were women. We found no difference in all-cause mortality between patients who received a pacemaker compared to those who did not (absolute survival difference at 17 years: 0.1% (95% CI: -3.6% to 3.8%). After 17 years, the estimated cumulative incidence of heart failure in patients who received a pacemaker was 28% (95% CI: 24%-33%) vs 20% (95% CI: 19%-22%) in patients who did not (absolute difference 8.2% [95% CI: 3.8%-13%]). We found no difference in endocarditis between the groups.

We found an increased incidence of heart failure in patients with low surgical risk who received a permanent pacemaker after SAVR. Permanent pacemaker implantation was not associated with all-cause mortality or endocarditis. Efforts should be made to avoid the need for permanent pacemaker following SAVR.