title: Determinants of clinical improvement after surgical replacement or transcatheter aortic valve implantation for isolated aortic stenosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and high surgical risk. Hemodynamic performance after TAVI is superior, but the impact of reverse remodeling on clinical improvement is controversial. We aim to address the differences in hemodynamic changes between SAVR and TAVI, and its correlation with LV remodeling and clinical improvement at 6 months follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients treated by TAVI were compared with 45 SAVR patients with a stented bioprosthesis. Clinical, 2D and 3D echocardiographic data were prospectively obtained before and six months after intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had similar distribution for sex, body surface area and AS severity. TAVI patients were older, more symptomatic and had more comorbidities. They also had higher LV filling pressures, larger 3D indexed left atrium volume, but similar 3D indexed LV mass. At 6 months, TAVI patients had greater clinical improvement and higher effective orifice area index (EAOI), but only SAVR patients already had a significant decrease in 3D indexed LV mass and diastolic volume. In univariate analysis older age, NYHA class ≥ III, increase in EAOI and TAVI were related with functional class improvement. After multivariate analysis only NYHA class ≥ III (OR 8.81, CI:2.13-36.52; p=0.003) and an increase in EAOI ≥ 105% (OR 3.87, CI:1.02-14.70; p=0.04) were predictors of clinical improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At 6 months, functional class improvement was greater after TAVI. Higher initial NYHA class and an increase in EAOI ≥ 105% were independently associated with functional enhancement. It is debatable if left ventricular remodeling is determinant for functional class improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr, Plácido da Costa 4200-450, Porto, Portugal. cristina.gavina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gavina
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Almeria
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Adelino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leite-Moreira
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rocha-Gonçalves
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zamorano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D020127:Recovery of Function; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015607:Stents; D065467:Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome