Protected Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Unprotected Left Main Using Impella Ventricular Assist Device Before Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Single-Center Experience

Background. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is nowadays the optimal therapeutic strategy in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS). Consequently, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of concomitant complex coronary artery disease (CAD) has increased in the last decade to optimize patients with severe AS before TAVI. Although the Impella ventricular assist device (Abiomed) was considered as a relative contraindication in patients with AS, its usage has demonstrated promising results in selected patients. Methods. All consecutive patients with severe AS who underwent staged approach with high-risk PCI of unprotected left main (ULM) using the Impella ventricular assist device before TAVI were retrospectively included. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints were peri-interventional mortality, vascular complication, and 30-day stroke rates. Due to the exploratory, observational intent of the study, no statistical analysis was performed. Results. Twenty-one consecutive patients (14 men; age, 80 +/- 6 years; log EuroScore, 17 +/- 7; SYNTAX score, 27 +/- 10) were included. All patients (21/21) survived to 30-day follow-up exam. Three patients (14%) had PCI of ULM and TAVI at the same session. Eighteen patients (86%) underwent TAVI in a staged approach after previous PCI (10 +/- 10 days). No patient suffered from stroke up to 30-day follow-up. One patient (5%) developed Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 major vascular complication after PCI. TAVI was successfully performed in all patients. Conclusion. Temporary hemodynamic support with the Impella device during staged approach with high-risk protected PCI appears to be safe and technically feasible in patients with severe AS before undergoing TAVI.