Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2026
Full-root Aortic Valve Replacement by Stentless Aortic Xenografts in Patients with Small Aortic Roots
Published on: May 21, 2017
Balancing risk and innovation: Comparative clinical outcomes of sutureless versus transcatheter aortic valve
Bedirhan Bugra Bayici1, Fatih Kizilyel2, Sebnem Albeyoglu3
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialization Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. bedirhanbugra@gmail.com.
Background:
Sutureless aortic valve replacement (SU-AVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have expanded treatment options for severe aortic stenosis, but comparative real-world data remain limited.
Aims:
We aimed to compare early and up to 6-month clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of SU-AVR versus transfemoral TAVI.
Methods:
All consecutive patients undergoing SU-AVR (n = 53) or TAVI (n = 245) between 2014 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity score matching (1:1 nearest neighbor, no replacement) generated 53 balanced pairs.
Results:
Paravalvular leak was more frequent after TAVI and was driven by mild leaks (40.0% vs. 13.3%; P = 0.019), while moderate-to-severe paravalvular leak was low and comparable (6.7% vs. 3.3%; P = 0.646). TAVI demonstrated lower transvalvular gradients compared to SU-AVR (P = 0.004); other 6-month echocardiographic parameters, including left ventricular ejection fraction and pulmonary artery pressure, were comparable. Permanent pacemaker implantation rates were comparable. Early mortality did not differ between the SU-AVR and TAVI groups (13.5% vs. 5.7%; P = 0.173). TAVI was associated with shorter hospitalization (median 5.2, interquartile range 3.7-7.3 vs. 8.7, interquartile range 6.3-11.9 days; P <0.001).
Conclusions:
In selected high-risk patients, SU-AVR and TAVI showed complementary early profiles. Individualized Heart Team-based decision-making remains essential.
