Comparison of periprocedural and mid-term stroke rates and outcomes between surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients.

Background: We compared stroke occurrence and outcomes between Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), both periprocedural and at follow-up.
Methods: From March 2012 to December 2014, 391 consecutive patients underwent TAVR (N.=290) or isolated SAVR (N.=101), concomitantly. Patients' data were prospectively collected.
Results: TAVR patients had more comorbidities. One (0.34%) TIA and 9 (3.11%) strokes occurred in-hospital following TAVR, but no cerebrovascular event occurred after SAVR (P=0.11). One stroke (0.99%) and one TIA (0.99%) were detected in SAVR group within 30 days. Among TAVR patients, one (0.75%) stroke at 6 months, 2 (1.9%) strokes and 2 (1.9%) TIAs at 12 months were diagnosed. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 96% and 99% 12-month CVA free survival following TAVR and SAVR, respectively (P=0.67). Preoperative mean trans-aortic valve systolic pressure gradient higher than 40 mmHg remained as risk factor for stroke in TAVR patients only, OR: 4.48 (CI: 1.2-16.54, P=0.02). One intraoperative death, and 5 (4 with CVA) in-hospital deaths occurred after TAVR; whereas only one patient died in SAVR group (P=0.49). Thirty-day mortality was 3.8% (11/290) for TAVR and 0.99% (1/101) for SAVR patients. SAVR patients' survival was 99% at 6 months, 97.9% at 12, and 96.4% at 24 months, whereas survival in TAVR was 97.5% at 6, 92% at 12, and 73.6% at 24 months (HR: 8.43 (CI: 2.47-28.73), P<0.001).
Conclusions: Even with significant differences in patients' baseline characteristics; in-hospital and mid-term stroke rates are not significantly higher following TAVR than SAVR. Although periprocedural stroke is not uncommon in TAVR, mid-term stroke rate is low.