Aortic annulus ellipticity and outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND: Elliptical shape of the aortic annulus has been associated with an increased risk of device failure after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) compared with a circular annular shape. AIMS: To assess the impact of annulus ellipticity on procedural outcomes and device performance in patients undergoing TAVI. METHODS: In a prospective TAVI registry, aortic annulus ellipticity was assessed by preprocedural multidetector computed tomography. The annulus ratios, defined by the ratio of minimum and maximum annulus diameters measured in a transverse double oblique plane, were split into tertiles for comparisons between groups. RESULTS: A total of 1732 patients undergoing TAVI between August 2007 and June 2020 were included in the present analysis. Patients in the tertile with the most elliptical shape of the annulus were more likely to be female (59.7% vs. 47.9%; p < 0.001) and had a higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (5.4 ± 3.8 vs. 4.8 ± 3.5; p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in the rate of technical success (95.3% vs. 96.5%; p = 0.235), device success (83.6% vs. 86.5%; p = 0.118) and intended valve performance (90.7% vs. 91.7; p = 0.503) between patients in the most elliptical tertile and the rest. However, valve dislocation/embolization occurred more frequently in patients with elliptical as compared to circular annular shape (2.6% vs. 1.2%; p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Ellipticity of the aortic annulus does not affect procedural and device outcomes in patients undergoing TAVI irrespective of transcatheter heart valve design and generation. https:www.//clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01368250.