title: Efficacy and safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in intermediate surgical risk patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in aortic stenosis patients at high surgical risk has been established. The data on patients with intermediate risk is not conclusive. We performed a meta-analysis of studies which compared TAVR with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients at intermediate surgical risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Several databases searched from inception to February 2015 yielded 7 eligible studies with 2,173 participants. The measured outcome of efficacy was all-cause mortality. Data on safety included stroke, permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI), aortic regurgitation (AR), vascular access complications, and major bleeding. Outcomes were pooled and relative risk (RR) was calculated with the Mantel-Haenszel method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in either short-term (RR, 1.02; 95% CI: 0.63-1.63; P = 0.94; I2= 0%) or medium to long-term all-cause mortality (RR, 0.99; 95% CI: 0.81-1.21; P = 0.91; I2= 0%). There was increased incidence of stroke (RR, 2.96; 95% CI: 0.87-10.09; P = 0.08; I2= 0%), AR (RR, 3.59; 95% CI: 2.13-7.19; P < 0.00001; I2= 2%), PPI (RR, 6.53; 95% CI: 1.91-22.32; P < 0.003; I2= 0%) and vascular access complications (RR, 3.84; 95% CI: 0.65-22.76; P < 0.14; I2= 48%) in patients with TAVR. There was a small, albeit increased risk of major or life threatening bleeding with SAVR as compared to TAVR (RR, 1.36; 95% CI: 1.04-1.80; P < 0.03; I2= 0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this meta-analysis we found that TAVR may be an acceptable alternative to SAVR in patients with intermediate risk for surgery. However, we must await evidence from the current large randomized trials before widespread adoption of this procedure is undertaken. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Abdur Rahman
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio.
authors.forename: Sobia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Haris
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riaz
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Vincent Mercy Hospital, Toledo, Ohio.
authors.forename: Faraz Khan
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Luni
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Simo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Aref
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bin Abdulhak
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, St Lukes Roosevelt Hospital, New York.
authors.forename: Chirag
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bavishi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flaherty
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D065467:Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: efficacy; intermediate surgical risk; meta-analysis; safety; surgical aortic valve replacement; transcatheter aortic valve replacement