Ultrasound guided vascular access site management and left ventricular pacing are associated with improved outcomes in contemporary transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Insights from the OxTAVI registry

Objectives To identify clinical and procedural practice predictors of avoidable complications during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Background TAVR is evolving as a viable strategy for treatment of aortic stenosis (AS). Vascular complications, major bleeding, or pericardial tamponade may be influenced by procedural practice. Methods The Oxford TAVR (OxTAVI) prospective registry was retrospectively analyzed to identify predictors of avoidable procedural complications in a contemporary cohort of transfemoral TAVR between January 2015 and September 2018. The primary endpoint was defined as a hierarchic composite of in-hospital mortality, pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade, major bleeding, and vascular access complications. Individual components of the primary endpoint have been analyzed separately. Results Five-hundred-twenty-nine patients underwent transfemoral TAVR using contemporary techniques during the study period and were enrolled in the OxTAVI registry. Female sex and high frailty were associated with a higher risk of death, major bleeding, vascular complication or pericardial tamponade. The use of ultrasound (US) guidance for vascular access management was independently associated with a reduced composite primary endpoint (OR = 0.35, CI:0.14-0.86, p = .02) after adjustment for clinical confounders, largely driven by a threefold reduction in vascular access complication (OR = 0.29, CI:0.15-0.55, p < .001). Performing rapid pacing via the left ventricle guidewire (LV-GW) was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of cardiac tamponade/pericardial effusion (OR = 0.19, CI:0.05-0.66, p = .009). Conclusion US-guided vascular access management and rapid pacing via the LV-GW are important determinants of reduced procedural complications during TAVR.