title: Long-term quality of life improvement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a novel therapeutic option for severe aortic stenosis in old patients with high surgical risk. The aim of this study was to assess changes in quality of life (QoL) along with functional status and late survival after this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six consecutive patients (80.5 ± 5.9 years, 21 men and 15 women) with a logistic Euroscore of 29.7 ± 13.7 underwent TAVI using the 18-Fr CoreValve prosthesis. Aortic valve prosthesis was inserted retrograde using a femoral or a subclavian arterial approach. QoL was evaluated by administering the Short Form 36 (SF-36) tool and the shorter SF-12 version 2 (SF-12v2) questionnaires before and 1-year after TAVI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TAVI was successfully performed in all patients. The estimated 1-year overall survival rate using Kaplan-Meier method was 68%. One-year follow-up also showed a marked improvement in echocardiographic parameters (peak gradient 76.2 ± 26.1 vs 15.4 ± 7.8 mm Hg, P < .001; aortic valve area 0.7 ± 0.1 vs 2.6 ± 2.7 cm(2), P < .001) with a significant change in New York Heart Association class (3 ± 0.7 vs 1.2 ± 0.4, P < .001). Both preprocedural summary SF-36 and SF-12v12 physical and mental scores showed a significant improvement 1 year after TAVI (21.6 vs 46.7, P < .001; 42.9 vs 55.2, P < .001; 22 vs 48.9, P < .001; 43.3 vs 52.2, P < .001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show a marked 1-year clinical benefit in functional status and physical and mental health in patients who underwent TAVI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece. pg171@hlk.forthnet.gr
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Georgiadou
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kontodima
authors.forename: Eftihia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sbarouni
authors.forename: George K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Karavolias
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smirli
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xanthos
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Troupis
authors.forename: Mazen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khouri
authors.forename: Lila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Voudris
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome