Regional left ventricular function after transapical vs. transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation analysed by cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking.

Aims This study analysed the impact of transapical (TA) vs. transfemoral (TF) access site transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on post-procedural regional left ventricular (LV) function using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking (FT). Methods and results CMR was performed 3 months after TAVI on 44 consecutive patients with normal LV ejection fraction prior to TAVI. Twenty patients had TA-TAVI, and 24 had TF-TAVI. Standard cine imaging was performed in three standard cardiac long-axis views (two-, four- and three-chamber views). Myocardial peak systolic radial strain (PSRS) and peak systolic longitudinal strain (PSLS) were analysed based on CMR-FT considering 49 segments in each of the three views. There were no differences in PSRS and PSLS for the basal and mid-ventricular segments betweenTA- and TF-TAVI groups. In contrast, PSRS and PSLS of apical segments and apical cap were reduced in the TA- compared with the TF-TAVI group (PSRS: 15.7 +/- 6.4 vs. 35.9 +/- 15.7%, respectively, P < 0.001; PSLS: -8.9 +/- 5.3 vs. -16.9 +/- 4.3%, respectively, P < 0.001). Comparison of all non-apical segments vs. apical segments and apical cap demonstrated no difference in the TF group (PSRS: 34.6 +/- 9.0 vs. 35.9 +/- 15.7%; respectively, P = 0.702; PSLS: -17.8 +/- 4.6 vs. -16.9 +/- 4.3%; respectively, P = 0.802). After TA-TAVI, PSRS and PSLS of the apical segments were reduced compared with the non-apical segments (PSRS: 15.7 +/- 6.4 vs. 33.5 +/- 7.0%, respectively, P < 0.001; PSLS: -8.9 +/- 5.3 vs. -15.5 +/- 3.5%, respectively, P < 0.001). Conclusion Apical LV function abnormalities can be detected at 3-month follow-up in all TA-TAVI patients using CMR-FT. TA-TAVI results in significant impairment of apical LV function compared with TF-TAVI.