Device Selection in Patients with Borderline Size Aortic Valve Annulus Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Abstract Transcatheter heart valve (THV) selection for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is crucial to achieve procedural success. Borderline aortic annulus size (BAAS), which allows a choice between two consecutive valve sizes, is a common challenge during device selection. In the present study, we evaluated TAVI outcomes in patients with BAAS according to THV size selection. We performed a retrospective study including patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and BAAS, measured by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), undergoing TAVI with self-expandable (SE) or balloon-expandable (BE) THV from the Israeli multicenter TAVI registry. TAVI outcomes were assessed according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 (VARC-2). Out of 2,352 patients with MDCT measurements, 598 patients with BAAS as defined for at least one THV type were included in the study. In BAAS patients treated with SE-THV, larger THV selection was associated with lower rate of paravalvular leak (PVL), compared to smaller THV (45.3% vs. 64.5%; pv = 0.0038). Regarding BE-THV, larger valve selection was associated with lower post-procedural transvalvular gradients compared to smaller THV (mean gradient: 9.9 ± 3.7mmHg vs. 12.5 ± 7.2mmHg; p = 0.019). Of note, rates of mortality, left bundle branch block, permanent pacemaker implantation, stroke, annular rupture and/or coronary occlusion did not differ between groups. BAAS is common among patients undergoing TAVI. Selection of a larger THV in these patients is associated with lower rates of PVL and better hemodynamic profile in patients implanted with SE and BE-THV, respectively, with no effect on procedural complications.