Does transcatheter aortic-valve replacement compared to surgical aortic-valve replacement affect in-hospital mortality in patients requiring aortic valve replacement?
The increasing use of TAVR in Germany between 2007 and 2013 was associated with a greater decrease in in-hospital mortality compared to surgical aortic-valve replacement, despite TAVR patients being older and at higher procedural risk.
The use of TAVR increased markedly in Germany between 2007 and 2013; the concomitant reduction in the use of surgical aortic-valve replacement was moderate. Patients undergoing TAVR were older and at higher procedural risk than those undergoing surgical aortic-valve replacement. In-hospital mortality decreased in both groups but to a greater extent among patients undergoing TAVR. (Funded by the Heart Center, Freiburg University.).
Reinöhl et al. (Wed,) studied this question.