Percutaneous implantation of an aortic valve prosthesis has emerged as a therapeutic option for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis for whom surgical valve replacement is not suitable. We describe the clinical characteristics of patients treated with percutaneous Corevalve aortic prosthesis.
From April 2008 to January 2010, 102 patients were referred for percutaneous aortic valve replacement of whom 81 were treated. Seven patients died during the evaluation, and 5 were not candidates due to inappropriate vascular anatomy or aortic valve measurements. Operative risk was estimated by logistic EuroSCORE. We included patients considered as high operative risk and patient who refused conventional surgery.
The mean age was 79 卤 7.9 years, 57%were aged 鈮?0 years and 64.2%were female. Mean Logistic EuroSCORE was 21.4 卤 16%. The Charlson index was 3.6 卤 1.9 and the Barthel index 72 卤 21. The logistic EuroSCORE was higher in patients considered high risk than those who refused surgery (26.2 卤 17.8 vs 11.9 卤 4.6; P = .008). Body-mass index was 28.9 卤 5.5. Mean ejection fraction was 61.8 卤 15.6%, with 14 patients with severe ventricular dysfunction. The large majority of patients (96.3%) were functional class III or IV NYHA. The maximum transaortic valve gradient was 79 卤 21聽mmHg, with a mean area 0.64 卤 0.2聽cm<sup>2sup>. Twenty-eight (34.6%) had coronary artery disease. Aortic valvuloplasty was performed on 7 patients. There were 31 patients with chronic pulmonary disease and 19 with chronic renal failure.
The population treated by percutaneous aortic valve replacement was characterised by high operative risk and associate comorbidities.