Early experience of a transcatheter aortic valve program at a veterans affairs facility

Shuab Omer, Biswajit Kar, Lorraine D. Cornwell, Alvin Blaustein, Glen N. Levine, Nadir Ali, Hani Jneid, David Paniagua, Prasad V. Atluri, Carlos F. Bechara, Panos Kougias, Maryrose Ruma, Ourania Preventza, Biykem Bozkurt, Blase A. Carabello, Faisal G. Bakaeen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

IMPORTANCE The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of a transcatheter aortic valve in patients for whom traditional valve replacement surgery poses a high or prohibitive risk. Our hospital was one of the first Veterans Affairs facilities to launch a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program. OBJECTIVE To evaluate our early experience with transfemoral TAVR. DESIGN AND SETTING We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who underwent TAVR during the first year of our program at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS The mean (SD) age of the patients was 77 (9) years, and their mean (SD) Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality score was 8.8 (10.7). INTERVENTIONS All patients underwent TAVR with the SAPIEN transcutaneous valve. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We evaluated operative mortality and major operative morbidity (stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure necessitating dialysis, and requirement for mechanical circulatory support, as well as vascular complications and requirement for permanent pacemaker), in addition to length of hospital stay and discharge status. RESULTS Between December 21, 2011, and December 13, 2012, a total of 19 transfemoral TAVR procedures were performed at our center. Implantation was successful in all cases. There were no reports of operative (30-day) mortality, prosthetic valve endocarditis, renal failure necessitating dialysis, perioperativemyocardial infarction or stroke, or conversion to surgical aortic valve replacement. Seven patients (37%) had mild paravalvular leak, 3 patients (16%) had moderate paravalvular leak, 2 patients (11%) had groin wound complications, 2 patients (11%) required a permanent pacemaker, 1 patient (5%) had a vascular access complication requiring endovascular repair, and 1 patient (5%) required temporary circulatory support (with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). The mean (SD) length of hospital stay after TAVR was 8.0 (5.9) days. All patients were discharged home. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Transcatheter aortic valve replacement can be performed safely and with good outcomes at a Veterans Affairs facility with a committed multidisciplinary team and substantial experience in heart valve and endovascular therapies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1087-1093
Number of pages7
JournalJAMA Surgery
Volume148
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery

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