Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Symptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis and Prior External Chest Radiation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) and prior chest radiation is associated with poor outcomes in comparison with patients without prior radiation. Our objective was to compare clinical outcomes of patients with and without prior chest radiation undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for symptomatic severe AS.

METHODS/MATERIALS: Between January 2003 and January 2017, 1150 patients underwent TAVR at our institution. Of these, 44 had prior chest radiation. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, procedural details, and clinical outcomes were prospectively collected.

RESULTS: Patients with prior chest radiation were younger, 76 ± 13 years, compared with those without prior chest radiation, 82 ± 8 years (p = 0.002). Median Society of Thoracic Surgeons score for chest radiation patients was 7 ± 4, compared to 8 ± 5 in those without prior radiation. Despite higher prevalence of complete heart block, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the need for permanent pacemaker implantation. There was a trend toward longer length of intensive care unit stay in chest radiation patients, but there was no significant difference in 30-day or 1-year mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Thus, TAVR appears to be a safe treatment option in the short and medium term for patients with symptomatic severe AS and prior chest radiation.