Transvalvular Pressure Gradients andAll-Cause Mortality Following TAVR: AMulticenter Echocardiographic and Invasive Registry.

Abstract

Low ejection fraction (EF) and low flow as determined by an echocardiographic stroke volume index(SVi)<35mL/m2 are associated with low transvalvular gradients and increased mortality in both severe aorticstenosis (AS) and post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Absence of an elevated echocardiographic transaorticgradient post-TAVR is considered a marker of procedural success despite the absence of data on its impactonmortality. The authors sought to examine the association of invasive and echocardiographic gradients post-TAVR with all-cause mortality in relation to flow and EF. In a multicenter retrospective registry of patients undergoing TAVR, Cox models with regression splines explored the relationship between invasive and echocardiographic gradients post-TAVR with 2-year mortality. An invasive gradient<5mmHg was considered low, between≥5 and<10mmHg was considered intermediate, and≥10mmHg was considered high. An echocardiographic gradient<10mmHg was considered low,≥10 and<20mmHg was considered intermediate, and≥20mmHg was considered high. Higher mortality occurred in low echocardiographic gradients at discharge relative to intermediate gradients (P< 0.001), and low gradient was associated with lower EF and echocardiographic SVi (P< 0.001 and P< 0.008, respectively). Lower mortality occurred in low invasive gradients relative to intermediate gradients (P=0.012) with no difference in EF and echocardiographic SVi between groups (P = 0.089 and P=0.947, respectively). There were insufficient observations to determine the impact of high echocardiographic and invasive gradients on mortality. In this large retrospective analysis, the impact of transaortic gradients on mortality after TAVR wasnot linear and complex, showing opposite results among echocardiographic and invasive measurements in low-gradient patients.