Predictors of high‐degree conduction disturbances and pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Prognostic role of the electrophysiological study

BACKGROUND: Predictors of high-degree atrioventricular block (HAVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are recognized, but the electrophysiological study's (EPS) role is still a subject to debate. The objective of our study was to determine factors associated with PPM implantation including the potential role of EPS before and/or after TAVR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy four consecutive patients (pts) were included and 21 pts (28.4%) received a PPM during the immediate postoperative follow-ups (until Day 5): HAVB in 15 pts (71.4%), prophylactic implantation due to a documented increased HV interval ≥ 95-100 ms plus LBBB in 2 pts (9.5%), a high-degree HV block evidenced at the EPS plus LBBB in 3 pts (14.3%) and one additional patient was implanted for AV-block in presence of AFib (4.8%). In the multivariate model 1 including parameters before TAVR, both prosthesis diameter and PR lengthening remained significantly associated with PPM as well RBBB. In the multivariate model 2 including parameters after TAVR, only HV remained significantly associated with the risk of PPM (OR = 1.15 (1.05-1.26), p = .004). When all the significant variables in models 1 and 2 were analyzed together in model 3, only HV after TAVR remained significantly associated with an increased risk of PPM. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective observational study, it was revealed that a Day 4-5 EPS is likely to more precisely stratify the risk of PPM implantation regarding its ability to discover asymptomatic severe infra-hisian conduction disturbances particularly in presence of LBBB. Multivariate analysis confirmed the prognostic value of HV alteration.