Abstract
In high-risk or inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a proven alternative to standard (i.e., medical) therapy or surgical aortic valve replacement. Concerns have been raised, however, about patients who survive the procedure but have short subsequent survival. The aim of this study was therefore to identify correlates of early out-of-hospital mortality (EOHM) in patients who underwent successful TAVI, rendering TAVI potentially "futile." Patients who were discharged from the hospital and survived >30 days but <12 months after TAVI were identified (the EOHM group). Independent predictors of EOHM were explored, including patient-level factors and procedural nonfatal major complications (NFMCs). A sensitivity analysis was also performed, excluding patients with NFMCs. Among 485 patients who were discharged from the hospital and survived 30 days after TAVI, 101 (21%) were dead within 1 year. Independent predictors of EOHM included serum creatinine, liver disease, coagulopathy, mental status, body mass index, male gender, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons score. Although NFMCs were strongly associated with EOHM, patient-level risk factors for EOHM were similar between patients who did and those who did not experience NFMCs. Compared with standard therapy, TAVI patients with EOHM had similar 6-month 6-minute walk distances and functional classes, with higher rates of repeat hospitalization. In conclusion, in high-risk or inoperable patients who underwent TAVI and were discharged and alive at 30 days, EOHM was not infrequent and was determined largely by presenting characteristics and the occurrence of periprocedural NFMCs. Careful screening and minimization of NFMCs may maximize the benefit of TAVI.