Predictive Factors of Cardiac Function Recovery and Mortality in Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are reported to have unfavorable outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study aims to evaluate outcomes and identify predictive factors for LVEF recovery following TAVI in patients with reduced LVEF. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 114 patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) with LVEF < 40% who underwent TAVI between 2011 and 2023 at two centers. Echocardiographic parameters, including LVEF, ventricular dimensions, and relative wall thickness (RWT), were assessed at baseline and during follow-up. The outcomes and predictors of substantial LVEF improvement and mortality were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods. Results: Anemia (OR = 4.345, 95% CI: 1.208-15.626, p = 0.024), RWT (OR = 1.224, 95% CI: 1.064-1.407, p = 0.005), and early post-procedural changes in left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD) (OR = 1.297, 95% CI: 1.037-1.622, p = 0.023) and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (OR = 1.346, 95% CI: 1.034-1.753, p = 0.027) at one-month follow-up were identified as significant factors associated with LVEF recovery at one year. Regarding factors related to mortality, higher baseline AVMG levels were associated with a lower probability of death after one year (OR = 0.926, 95% CI: 0.875-0.979, p = 0.007). Conversely, a more limited increase in LVEF from baseline to the final follow-up was linked to poor prognosis and higher mortality at one year (95% CI: 1.045-1.594, p = 0.018). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that TAVI in patients with AS and reduced LVEF can be performed with high procedural success, low mortality, and significant improvement in cardiac function during follow-up. Additionally, anemia, baseline RWT, and early post-procedural changes in LVESD and LVEDD were identified as factors associated with LVEF recovery. Baseline AVMG and changes in LVEF at the final follow-up were found to be significant predictors of total mortality.

Keywords: aortic stenosis; heart failure; reduced ejection fraction; transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Figure 1

Changes in LVEF at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year post-TAVI follow-up. Significant improvements were observed at each time point compared to baseline (p = 0.002 for 1 month, p < 0.001 for 6 months, and p < 0.001 for 1 year). The horizontal line within each box represents the median, while the upper and lower edges correspond to the 75th and 25th percentiles, respectively. The whiskers extending from the box indicate the maximum and minimum EF levels.