Balloon aortic valvuloplasty for severe aortic stenosis as a bridge to transcatheter/surgical aortic valve replacement.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to determine success- and complication rates after balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) and the outcome of BAV as a standalone therapy versus BAV as a bridge to transcatheter/surgical aortic valve replacement (T/SAVR).


BACKGROUND
The introduction of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has led to a revival in BAV as treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis.


METHODS
A cohort of 472 patients underwent 538 BAV procedures. The cohort was divided into two groups: BAV alone 387 (81.9%) and BAV as a bridge 85 (18.1%) to (n = 65, TAVR; n = 20, surgery). Clinical, hemodynamic, and follow-up mortality data were collected.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the two groups in mean age (81.7 ± 8.3 vs. 83.2 ± 10.9 years, P = 0.18), society of thoracic surgeons score (13.1 ± 6.2 and 12.4 ± 6.4, P = 0.4), logistic EuroSCORE (45.4 ± 22.3 vs. 46.9 ± 21.8, P = 0.43), and other comorbidities. The mean increase in aortic valve area was 0.39 ± 0.25 in the BAV alone group and 0.42 ± 0.26 in the BAV as a bridge group, P = 0.33. The decrease in mean gradient was 24.1 ± 13.1 in the BAV alone group vs. 27.1 ± 13.8 in the BAV as a bridge group, P = 0.06. During a median follow up of 183 days [54-409], the mortality rate was 55.2% (n = 214) in the BAV alone group vs. 22.3% (n = 19) in the BAV as a bridge group during a median follow-up of 378 days [177-690], P < 0.001.


CONCLUSION
In high-risk patients with aortic stenosis and temporary contraindications to SAVR/TAVR, BAV may be used as a bridge to intervention with good mid-term outcomes.
['Ben-Dor|Itsik|I|', 'Maluenda|Gabriel|G|', 'Dvir|Danny|D|', 'Barbash|Israel M|IM|', 'Okubagzi|Petros|P|', 'Torguson|Rebecca|R|', 'Lindsay|Joseph|J|', 'Satler|Lowell F|LF|', 'Pichard|Augusto D|AD|', 'Waksman|Ron|R|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis D063126:Balloon Valvuloplasty D006328:Cardiac Catheterization D000075202:Contraindications D005260:Female D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation D006439:Hemodynamics D006801:Humans D008297:Male D018579:Patient Selection D012189:Retrospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D012720:Severity of Illness Index D013997:Time Factors D016896:Treatment Outcome
valvuloplasty aortic stenosis valve replacement