Comparison of transcatheter aortic valve implantation outcomes in patients younger than 85 years and those aged 85 years or older: a single-center study

The number of elderly patients requiring treatment of aortic stenosis is expected to grow steadily due to increasing lifespan. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative treat‑ ment for patients with aortic stenosis considered nonoptimal candidates for surgical valve replacement. We aimed to assess age‑related differences in 30‑day and 1‑year cardiovascular mortality, Valve Academic Research Consortium‑2 (VARC‑2)-defined complications in patients undergoing TAVI, by comparing outcomes in patients younger than 85 years and those aged 85 years or older. The study group included patients who underwent TAVI at the Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw from January 2009 to July 2019. Clinical, procedural, and follow‑up data were retrospectively collected and compared in 2 groups defined according to age: group 1, younger than 85 years (417) and group 2, aged 85 or older (200). The surgical risk profile assessed by the EuroSCORE II was significantly higher in the group of older patients (median [interquartile range], 6.5% [3.5%-17.3%] vs 7.2% [3.4%-18.1%]; P = 0.002); 30‑day and 1‑year cardiovascular mortality was 4.3% in group 1 as compared with 5% in group 2 (P = 0.69) and 10.8% in group 1 as compared with 9.4% in group 2 (P = 0.51), respectively. The rate of VARC‑2‑defined complications was similar in both groups, with the exception of major vascular com‑ plications (3.12% vs 8.5%; P = 0.004) and major bleeding (10.8% vs 18.5%; P = 0.008), which were more prevalent in older patients. Cardiovascular mortality at 1 month and 1 year following TAVI is similar in patients aged 85 years or older and in those younger than 85 years.