Aims: We sought to evaluate the effects of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) upon outcome after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
Methods and results: We performed a retrospective study of 271 consecutive patients undergoing TAVI using either the Edwards SAPIEN or Edwards SAPIEN XT valve. Pre-procedural coronary angiograms were analysed by quantitative coronary angiography (defining significant CAD as a stenosis of ≥70% or ≥50% if in the left main stem or a vein graft). Ninety-three out of 271 patients had significant CAD. There was no difference in mortality at 30 days or 12 months between the two groups (6.7% vs. 7.5% and 21.5% vs. 23.7%; log-rank p=0.805). A secondary analysis using the SYNTAX algorithm of coronary anatomy complexity was performed on 189 patients. Those in the high SYNTAX score (>33) group had higher mortality at 30 days and 12 months (14.3% and 57.1%) than the low (5.2% and 23.3%) and intermediate-risk groups (11.1% and 22.2%; log-rank p=0.007). ROC analysis identified a SYNTAX score of >9 at the time of TAVI as the optimal cut-off, with an independent association with mortality (HR 1.95 [95% CI: 1.21-3.13]; p=0.006). Patients with a SYNTAX score >9 had greater 30-day, 12-month and overall mortalities than those with a SYNTAX score <9 (3.7% vs. 11.3% and 20.7% vs. 34.3%; log-rank p=0.005).
Conclusions: Significant CAD, as defined using "real-world" QCA margins, did not have a significant effect upon mortality after TAVI for severe aortic stenosis. However, higher-risk SYNTAX groups, including those with a score >9, had increased mortality.