Coronary Artery Disease and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) and severe aortic stenosis (AS) are frequently encountered in patients evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Invasive coronary angiography remains the mainstay for anatomical assessment of CAD, whereas coronary computed tomography angiography may be used in patients with a low pretest probability of CAD. Adjunctive functional evaluation of coronary lesions has proven safe in the presence of AS, but uncertainty remains over the impact of AS on the results of functional testing. For patients with CAD, revascularization of significant lesions (≥90% stenosis, fractional flow reserve ≤0.80) is associated with improved clinical outcomes compared to medical therapy. However, the optimal timing of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains unclear with no clear benefit to revascularization in advance of TAVR. When planning post-TAVR PCI, careful consideration should be given to the type of valve implanted, with short-frame valves having more favorable coronary access after TAVR. Planning for future coronary access is particularly relevant for patients who have either unrevascularized obstructive coronary lesions or unknown coronary anatomy in advance of TAVR. Moreover, post-TAVR PCI will likely increase, given the younger age profile of patients being treated and the trend to defer revascularization until after valve replacement.