Abstract
BackgroundTranscatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has undergone significant advances in recent years, with the development of improved pre-planning tools and devices. These advances have led to a reduction in the rate of paravalvular leak (PVL), a complication that is associated with poor outcomes even when mild. As some centers around the world are moving to solely fluoroscopy-focused implantation, we aimed to describe the clinical impact of intra-procedural transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) during TAVI in a high volume hospital. MethodsObservational study during a 3-month period. A limited TTE examination was performed immediately after deployment to assess the existence of PVL and grade its severity. Complete TTE was performed a day after the procedure. In case of ≥mild PVL after valve deployment, a decision was made according to the severity of the PVL, patient anatomy and extent of annular calcification to preform balloon post-dilation. If done, an additional limited TTE was performed to assess possible complication and the degree of PVL post dilatation. Results115 patient were included in the study. Intra-procedural TTE identified 16 patients (14 %) with at least mild PVL, three of them with moderate (3 %). Post balloon dilatation was performed in 10 patients (9 % of the cohort) with significant improvement in the degree of PVL. ConclusionIntra-procedural TTE immediately after TAVI deployment can accurately identify PVL, allowing operators to perform post balloon dilatation with improvement in early echocardiographic results. Our findings support the routine use of TTE during procedures, without relying solely on fluoroscopy.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.