title: Percutaneous implantation of the CoreValve self-expanding aortic valve prosthesis in patients with severe aortic stenosis: early experience in Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to describe early experience and medium-term follow-up with the CoreValve self-expanding aortic prosthesis at three Spanish hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Other inclusion criteria were: aortic valve area <1 cm(2) (<0.6 cm(2)/m(2)); aortic valve annulus diameter in the range 20-27 mm; diameter of the ascending aorta at the level of the sinotubular junction < or = 40 mm (small prosthesis) or < or = 43 mm (large prosthesis), and femoral artery diameter >6 mm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 108 patients with a mean age of 78.6 + or - 6.7 years, a mean aortic valve area of 0.63 + or - 0.2 cm(2) and a mean logistic EuroSCORE of 16% + or - 13.9% (range, 2.27%-86.4%). After valve implantation, the maximum echocardiographic transaortic valve gradient decreased from 83.8 + or - 23 to 12.6 + or - 6 mmHg. No patient presented with greater than grade-2 residual aortic regurgitation on angiography. The procedural success rate was 98.1%. No patient died during the procedure. Definitive pacemaker implantation was carried out for atrioventricular block in 38 patients (35.2%). At 30 days, all-cause mortality and the rate of the combined endpoint of death, stroke, myocardial infarction or referral for surgery were 7.4% and 8.3%, respectively. The estimated 1-year survival rate calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method was 82.3% (for a median follow-up period of 7.6 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our early experience indicates that percutaneous aortic valve replacement is a safe and practical therapeutic option for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at a high surgical risk.
authors.affiliation: Area del Corazon, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Avanzas
authors.forename: Antonio J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Muñoz-García
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segura
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Juan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Alonso-Briales
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morís
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suárez de Lezo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hernández-García
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019990:Perioperative Care; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors