Comparison of therapeutic strategies for aortic stenosis between transcatheter and surgical aortic valve implantation: a retrospective cohort study in Japanese dialysis patients

Background Although transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is assumed to be a less invasive therapy in high-risk patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS), there have been limited data suggesting its beneficial effects on cardiovascular mortality in Japanese patients receiving dialysis therapy. Methods Hemodialysis patients with severe AS underwent either TAVI (n = 33) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR, n = 25). We compared the postoperative outcomes and perioperative complications, including dialysis-associated parameters [e.g., intradialytic hypotension (IDH)], between TAVI and SAVR. Results A 30-day and 1-year mortality rate was nearly the same among the TAVI and the SAVR group. Incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation or other events, including stroke, bleeding and vascular complications, in the TAVI group were not different from those in SAVR patients during the 30-day or 1-year postoperative period. The incidence of IDH was increased following SAVR (odds ratio (OR) = 11.29 [95% CI 1.29–98.89]) but was not affected by TAVI (OR = 1.55 [95% CI 0.24–9.94]). Among the patients aged 75 or older, the incidence of IDH was particularly conspicuous in the SAVR group (OR = 15.75 [95% CI 2.30–107.93]). Because there were differences in background data (age, EuroSCORE II, and dialysis duration) between these groups, propensity score-matched analysis was conducted and showed no difference in the composite event-free probability between the TAVI and the SAVR group over one year (p = 0.816). Conclusions TAVI offers an alternative strategy to Japanese hemodialysis patients with severe AS, with nearly the same incidence of complications as SAVR during 1-year observation.