Preliminary outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to report the feasibility and the preliminary outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the frail and unique high-risk population of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and severe aortic stenosis (AS).


RESULTS
All patients with SSc and severe AS treated with TAVI between November 2007 and June 2013 in our centre were included in the current study. Outcomes were assessed using the Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 (VARC-2) definitions. Of 526 surgical high-risk patients treated in the study period, only six had SSc (1.1%). All SSc patients underwent transfemoral TAVI under conscious sedation. The procedure was successfully performed in all patients. There was one case of a major vascular complication. During a median follow-up time of 550 days (interquartile range 390-1,009 days), five of the six patients were alive, free from any complications and with an NYHA Class I or II. One patient died at 670 days from a stroke of unknown aetiology.


CONCLUSIONS
The present case series suggests that the TAVI procedure is feasible in patients with SSc and severe AS.
Interventional Cardiology Unit and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Chiara
C
Bernelli
Alaide
A
Chieffo
Gennaro
G
Giustino
Matteo
M
Montorfano
Azeem
A
Latib
Vasileios F
VF
Panoulas
Remo Daniel
RD
Covello
Eustachio
E
Agricola
Pietro
P
Spagnolo
Ottavio
O
Alfieri
Antonio
A
Colombo
Micaela
M
Cioni
D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D065467:Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement; D016896:Treatment Outcome