Therapeutic Alternatives after Aborted Sternotomy at the Time of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in the TAVI Era – Five Centre Experience and Systematic Review

Abstract Background We aimed to analyze causes, management, and outcomes of the unexpected need to abort sternotomy in aortic stenosis (AS) patients accepted for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) era. Methods Cases of aborted sternotomy (AbS) were gathered from 5 centers between 2009 and 2014. A systematic review of all published cases in the same period was performed. Results A total of 31 patients (71% males, 74 ± 8 years, LogEuroSCORE 11.9 ± 7.4%) suffered an AbS (0.19% of all sternotomies). Main reasons for Abs included previously unknown porcelain aorta (PAo) in 83.9%, mediastinal fibrosis due to radiotherapy in 12.9%, and chronic mediastinitis in 3.2%. Median time between AbS and next intervention was 2.3 months (IQR:0.7–5.8) with no mortality within this period. Only a case was managed with open surgery. In 30 patients (96.8%) TAVI was performed with a rate of success of 86.7%. Four patients (12.9%) presented in-hospital death and 17 (63%) had in-hospital complications including heart failure (9.6%), major bleeding (6.9%), and acute kidney injury (9.6%). Older patients (76 ± 8 vs. 70 ± 8 years, p = 0.045), previous cardiac surgery (60% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.029), and shorter time from AbS to next intervention (5.1 ± 5 vs. 1 ± 0.7 months, p = 0.001) were related to higher six-month mortality (22.6%). Conclusions The main reason for AbS was PAo. This entity was associated to a higher rate of complications and mortality, specially in older patients and with prior cardiac surgery. A preventive strategy in these subgroups might be based on imaging evaluation. TAVI was the most extended therapy.