Snorkel Stenting During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Single-Center Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Interventions
• Structural Heart Disease
• Interventional Cardiology

Background:

• Coronary obstruction (CO) is a serious risk during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
• Snorkel stenting is a technique developed to prevent CO.
• This study evaluates snorkel stenting's safety and outcomes in high-risk TAVI patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety and clinical outcomes of snorkel stenting for CO prevention in TAVI.
• To evaluate perioperative CO and myocardial infarction (MI) rates.
• To analyze long-term clinical results following the procedure.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 21 patients undergoing TAVI with snorkel stenting (2018-2023).
• Primary outcomes: perioperative CO and follow-up MI.
• Data collected included patient demographics, pre-procedural imaging, and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• No procedural complications or perioperative MIs were observed in 21 patients.
• One disabling stroke and one pacemaker implant occurred postoperatively.
• At median 1.25-year follow-up, no aortic valve reinterventions, one sub-acute stroke, and one MI were reported.

Conclusions:

• Snorkel stenting is a safe and effective strategy for preventing CO in high-risk TAVI patients.
• The technique shows favorable procedural outcomes, minimizing perioperative CO.
• Consider snorkel stenting for selected TAVI patients at increased risk of coronary obstruction.