Analysis of cardiovascular mortality, bleeding, vascular and cerebrovascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation vs. sinus rhythm undergoing transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVR)

BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2017 Dec 20;17(1):298. doi: 10.1186/s12872-017-0736-6.

Abstract

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been demonstrated to be an established therapy for high-risk, inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. For patients with moderate surgical risk, TAVR is equivalent to conventional aortic valve surgery. However, atrial fibrillation (AF) is also present in many of these patients, thus requiring post-implantation oral anticoagulation therapy in addition to the inhibition of thrombocyte aggregation, which poses the risk of bleeding complications. The aim of our work was to investigate the influence of AF on mortality and the occurrence of bleeding, vascular and cerebrovascular complications related to TAVR according to the VARC-2 criteria.

Methods: Two hundred eighty-three patients who underwent TAVR between March 2010 and April 2016 were retrospectively examined. In total, 257 patients who underwent transfemoral access were included in this study. The mean patient age was 81 ± 6 years, 54.1% of the patients were women, and 42.4% had pre-interventional AF.

Results: Compared to patients with sinus rhythm (SR, n = 148), patients with AF (n = 109) had an almost three-fold higher incidence of major vascular complications (AF 14.7% vs. SR 5.4%, p = 0.016) and life-threatening bleeding (AF 11.9% vs. SR 4.1%, p = 0.028) during the first 30 post-procedural days. However, the rate of cerebrovascular complications (AF 3.7% vs. SR 2.7%, p = 0.726) did not significantly differ between the two groups. Overall mortality was significantly higher in patients with AF during the first month (AF 8.3% vs. SR 2.0%, p = 0.032) and the first year (AF 28.4% vs. SR 15.3%; p = 0.020) following TAVR.

Conclusion: Patients with AF had significantly more severe bleeding complications after TAVR, which were significantly related to mortality. Future prospective randomized studies must clarify the optimal anticoagulation therapy for patients with AF after TAVR.

Trial registration: DRKS00011798 on DRKS (Date 17.03.2017).

Keywords: Antiplatelet therapy; Atrial fibrillation; Bleeding; NOAC; Sinus rhythm; TAVR; VARC-2.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aortic Valve / physiopathology
  • Aortic Valve / surgery*
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / mortality
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / physiopathology
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / surgery*
  • Atrial Fibrillation / mortality
  • Atrial Fibrillation / physiopathology*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / mortality
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Catheterization, Peripheral / adverse effects*
  • Catheterization, Peripheral / mortality
  • Cause of Death
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / epidemiology
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / physiopathology
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Female
  • Femoral Artery*
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Heart Rate*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Length of Stay
  • Male
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Postoperative Hemorrhage / epidemiology
  • Postoperative Hemorrhage / physiopathology
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Punctures
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / adverse effects*
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / mortality
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Vascular Diseases / physiopathology

Substances

  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors