Routine postdilation after 23 mm Sapien 3 Ultra implantation in the aortic position

Abstract

Background: Residual transprosthetic gradient (TG) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with balloon-expandable valves (BEV) may be due to suboptimal valve expansion.

Aims: To compare hemodynamics after TAVR with small BEV according to postdilation strategy.

Methods: This observational, retrospective cohort study included 184 consecutive patients from a single center treated with 23 mm Sapien 3 Ultra (Edwards Lifesciences) BEV implantation in the aortic position and enrolled between January 2020 and April 2023. Patients treated with routine postdilation (RP, n = 73) were compared to patients treated according to local standard practice (SP, n = 111). Primary endpoint was 30-day mean TG. Secondary endpoints were incidence of 30-day prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM), technical success and device success.

Results: Thirty-day mean TG was lower in RP versus SP (12.3 ± 4.6 mmHg vs. 14.1 ± 5.7 mmHg, p = 0.031), and incidence of PPM was less common with RP versus SP (47.3% vs. 71.0%, p = 0.006). Technical success (98.6% vs. 99.1%, p = 0.637) and device success (93.1% vs. 90.1%, p = 0.330) did not differ between groups. Differences in 30-day mean TG were driven by patients at normal flow (12.1 ± 4.0 mmHg vs. 15.0 ± 5.5 mmHg, p = 0.014), while no differences were evident among patients at low flow (12.5 ± 5.5 mmHg vs. 11.7 ± 5.5 mmHg, p = 0.644). RP decreased height and increased width of BEV, and a linear regression established that final BEV width could predict 30-day mean TG (r = -0.6654, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: RP after TAVR with small BEV was associated with more favorable forward-flow hemodynamics than SP.

Keywords: TAVR; balloon‐expandable valve; gradients; prosthesis‐patient mismatch.