title: [Transcatheter aortic valve implantation.Experience in 26 patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular disease. Its surgical indication is undisputed in symptomatic severe AS, however, 30% of patients are at high surgical risk or inoperable. Transcatheter Valve Implantation (TAVI) is an alternative for this group of patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical outcomes of TAVI in a group of patients treated at the Instituto Nacional del Tórax, Santiago, Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study including all patients referred for TAVI due to their high surgical risk or being inoperable. All-cause mortality, secondary stroke, permanent pacemaker implantation, vascular complications, prosthetic and periprosthetic regurgitation, Karnosfky test and Functional Capacity (FC) were assessed as endpoints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 26 patients with a mean age of 82 years (74% women) in whom 27 procedures were done. The mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was 8.8%. Overall mortality at 30 days, one and two years was 11.1, 18.5 and 29.6% respectively. Karnofsky score increased significantly from 62.3% at baseline to 83.9; 88.6 and 88.8% at six months, one and two years, respectively. Prior to the procedure, FC was 3.1 ± 0.6, decreasing significantly to 1.2; 1.3 and 1 at six months, one and two years of follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TAVI is an effective alternative treatment for patients with severe symptomatic AS and high surgical risk.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: Byron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarango
authors.forename: Loreto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sore
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deck
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bórquez
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: GonzÁlez
authors.forename: Polentzi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Uriarte
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002677:Chile; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D065467:Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement; D016896:Treatment Outcome