Peri-Procedural Continuation Versus Interruption of Anticoagulation for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background/Objectives: Oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) is crucial for reducing the risk of ischemic complications in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, OAC also increases the risk of major bleeding events. The optimal management of OAC in patients with AF undergoing transaortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unclear. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of OAC interruption vs. continuation in patients with AF scheduled for TAVI. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched to include all pertinent randomized and observational studies. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of net adverse clinical events (NACE), a composite of all-cause death, major vascular complications, and major bleeding at 30-day follow-up. Secondary endpoints included all-cause death, cardiovascular death, major vascular complications, major bleeding, any bleeding, stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and the need for red-packed blood transfusion. Results: A total of three studies and 2773 patients were included in the analysis (1314 were allocated to continuation of OAC therapy and 1459 to interruption of OAC therapy during TAVI). The two study groups experienced a similar rate of NACE (OR = 0.89 [95% CI 0.61 to 1.31], I2 = 77%, p = 0.56) compared to the OAC-interruption group. No significant differences were observed in the rate of all-cause death (p = 0.21), cardiovascular death (p = 0.35), major vascular complications (p = 0.84), major bleeding events (p = 0.47), total bleeding events (p = 0.62), or non-fatal MI (p = 0.55). Interestingly, the OAC-continuation group experienced a lower occurrence of stroke (OR = 0.62 [95% CI 0.39 to 0.97], I2 = 0%, p = 0.04) and the need for red packed blood cells (OR = 0.66 [95% CI 0.50 to 0.86], I2 = 20%, p < 0.01) compared to the OAC-interruption group. Conclusions: In patients with AF undergoing TAVI, there was no significant difference between interruption and continuation of OAC in terms of NACE, composite of all-cause death, major vascular complications, or major bleeding at 30-day follow-up. Of interest, the OAC-continuation group patients experienced lower rates of stroke and the need for blood transfusion.