Patients with severe aortic stenosis and coexisting pulmonary hypertension treated by transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement—Is there a need for increased attention?

OBJECTIVES: Aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of pulmonary hypertension on patients treated with a transapical aortic valve replacement. BACKGROUND: In patients with aortic stenosis (AS) the coexistence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with increased peri-operative risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. For transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), it is unknown whether transapical TAVR (TA-TAVR) is associated with increased peri-interventional risk in PH patients. METHODS: We performed a single center analysis in 189 patients with severe AS with (AS + PH) or without PH (AS - PH) undergoing TA-TAVR. PH was defined by mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥25 mmHg assessed by right heart catheterization (exclusion of 64 patients due to missing results). As the primary endpoint a combination of 30-day mortality or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy three patients (58.4%) had PH. Increased peri-interventional risk in AS + PH patients was reflected by an increased rate of the primary endpoint in comparison to AS - PH patients (24.7 vs. 3.8%; p = .002). A higher proportion of acute kidney injury (34.2 vs. 15.7%; p = .025) was found in AS + PH patients while AS - PH patients showed a higher rate of bleeding in comparison AS + PH patients (18.5 vs. 6.8% p = .050). CONCLUSION: Patients with AS + PH treated by TA-TAVR are at increased peri-interventional risk for severe complications in comparison to AS - PH patients. Therefore, the identification of preventive therapeutic strategies is needed. CLASSIFICATIONS: TAVR, transapical, pulmonary hypertension, aortic stenosis.