Long-term outcomes of inoperable patients with aortic stenosis randomly assigned to transcatheter aortic valve replacement or standard therapy

Circulation. 2014 Oct 21;130(17):1483-92. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.009834. Epub 2014 Sep 9.

Abstract

Background: The long-term outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis remain unknown.

Methods and results: In the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) study, 358 patients were randomly assigned to TAVR or standard therapy. We report the 3-year outcomes on these patients, and the pooled outcomes for all randomly assigned inoperable patients (n=449) in PARTNER, as well, including the randomized portion of the continued access study (n=91). The 3-year mortality rate in the TAVR and standard therapy groups was 54.1% and 80.9%, respectively (P<0.001; hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.68; P<0.001). In survivors, there was significant improvement in New York Heart Association functional class sustained at 3 years. The cumulative incidence of strokes at 3-year follow-up was 15.7% in TAVR patients versus 5.5% in patients undergoing standard therapy (hazard ratio, 2.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-6.26; P=0.012); however, the composite of death or strokes was significantly lower after TAVR versus standard therapy (57.4% versus 80.9%, P<0.001; hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.77; P<0.001). Echocardiography showed a sustained increase in aortic valve area and decrease in transvalvular gradient after TAVR. Analysis of the 449 pooled randomly assigned patients (TAVR, n=220; standard therapy, n=229) demonstrated significant improvement in all-cause mortality and functional status during early and 3-year follow-up. The results of the pooled cohort were similar to the results obtained from the pivotal PARTNER trial.

Conclusions: TAVR resulted in better survival and functional status in inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis with durable hemodynamic benefit on long-term follow-up. However, high residual mortality, even in successfully treated TAVR patients, highlights the need for more strategic patient selection.

Clinical trial registration url: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00530894.

Keywords: aortic valve; aortic valve stenosis; outcome assessment (health care).

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aortic Valve Insufficiency / mortality
  • Aortic Valve Insufficiency / therapy
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / mortality*
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / therapy*
  • Cardiac Catheterization
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hemodynamics
  • Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Hemorrhage / mortality
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Patient Readmission / statistics & numerical data
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Stroke / mortality
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / adverse effects
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / methods*
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / mortality*
  • Treatment Outcome

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00530894