Valve-in-Valve TAVR for Degenerated Surgical Valves in Patients With Small Aortic Annuli: A Report From a Japanese Nationwide Registry

Abstract

Background: Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (ViV-TAVR) provides an alternative treatment for high-risk patients with failed surgical bioprosthetic aortic valves. However, limited data exist on ViV-TAVR outcomes in patients with small aortic annuli, particularly among the relatively small-statured Japanese population.

Methods: We analyzed data from the J-TVT (Japan Transcatheter Valve Therapy) registry, which included all TAVR institutions across Japan, with data collected from July 2018, when ViV-TAVR was approved, through December 2022. A small aortic annulus was defined as an aortic annulus area of ≤314 mm², measured using preoperative computed tomography for ViV-TAVR. Prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) was defined as an indexed effective orifice area <0.85 cm²/m², assessed using echocardiography within 30 days after ViV-TAVR. The composite end point was evaluated at 30 days and 1 year.

Results: Among 47 800 individuals, 1029 underwent ViV-TAVR, resulting in a final sample of 405 patients. The mean indexed effective orifice area was 0.83 cm²/m² in the small annulus group (n=225) and 0.94 cm²/m² in the nonsmall group (n=180), with PPM rates of 59.2% and 44.4%, respectively. Small annuli were independently associated with PPM (odds ratio, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.26-2.87]; P=0.002). No differences in 30-day and 1-year outcomes were observed between groups. Among the 225 patients with small annuli, the mean indexed effective orifice area was 0.76 cm²/m² in the balloon-expandable valve group (n=61) and 0.86 cm²/m² in the supraannular self-expanding valve group (n=164), with PPM rates of 67.2% and 56.1%, respectively. No differences in outcomes were noted based on the type of valve implanted.

Conclusions: ViV-TAVR for small aortic annuli in Japanese patients was associated with an increased risk of PPM; however, no differences in clinical outcomes were observed according to aortic annulus size or valve type. Due to the small size of our sample, further research is required to validate these findings.

Keywords: aortic valve; echocardiography; heart valve prosthesis; tomography; transcatheter aortic valve replacement.