Cardiac Surgery after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Trends and Outcomes

BACKGROUND Reports of cardiac operations after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and early TAVR explantation are increasing. The purpose of this report is to document trends and outcomes of cardiac surgery following initial TAVR. METHODS The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was queried for all adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery after a previously placed TAVR between January 2012 and March 2023. This identified an overall cohort, as well as two subcohorts: non aortic valve surgeries, and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) after previous TAVR. Cohorts were examined with descriptive statistics, trend analyses, and 30-day outcomes. RESULTS A total of 5,457 patients were identified of which 2,485 (45.5%) underwent non-SAVR cardiac surgery, and 2,972 (54.5%) underwent SAVR. The frequency of cardiac surgery after TAVR increased 4,235.3% overall, and 144.6% per year throughout the study period. The incidence of operative mortality and stroke were 15.5 and 4.5%, respectively. Existing Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk models performed poorly as observed to expected mortality ratios were significantly >1.0. Among those undergoing SAVR after TAVR, increasing preoperative surgical urgency, age, dialysis, need for SAVR, and concomitant procedures were associated with increased mortality, while type of TAVR explant was not. CONCLUSIONS The need for cardiac surgery including redo SAVR after TAVR is increasing rapidly. Risks are higher and outcomes are worse than predicted. These data should closely inform heart-team decisions if TAVR is considered at lowering age and risk profiles in the absence of longitudinal evidence.