Long-term follow-up after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation: sustained clinical benefit with evidence of persistent biventricular reverse remodeling and improved global performance

Abstract Background Patients with native or post-surgical right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) dysfunction often require several re-interventions. Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) has recently been proposed as an attractive alternative to surgery, but there is still lack of data on long-term results. Aim To determine the long-term outcome after PPVI and to investigate whether clinical benefit and cardiac performance improvement is achieved after the procedure. Methods and results Seventy-eight patients (mean age 31.75±11.7) undergoing PPVI between April 2007 and July 2017 at Royal Brompton Hospital were retrospectively included in the study. The median follow-up was 6.1 years (2.1–11.2). Overall survival was 90.8%±4.1 at 6 years and 85%±5.9 at 11 years with freedom from valve failure (defined as either severe stenosis or regurgitation) of 87.6%±5 at 6 years of follow-up. Annual reintervention rate was 3.2% (95% CI 1.6–5.5). Infective endocarditis was a major concern with annual incidence rate of 1.6% (95% CI 0.5–3.4) and 50% of adverse outcome. Male sex (HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.3–7.9, p=0.013), age at procedure>50 years (HR 4.7, 95% CI 1.5–15.1, p=0.01) and residual mean gradient>25 mmHg at immediate postprocedural echo (HR 4.6, 95% CI 1.6–13.5%, p=0.006) were independently associated to the composite endpoint (including death, re-intervention, valve failure and arrhythmia). At latest follow-up, significant NYHA class (Pre Vs 6.1yrs Post p