Impact of balloon predilatation in patients with reduced versus preserved ejection fraction during transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Background Although there is a trend toward direct transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), still balloon predilatation is necessary in some cases, especially in patients with severe calcification. However, predilatation including rapid ventricular pacing may have adverse outcomes, especially in patients with reduced ejection factor (EF). Objective To evaluate the impact of predilatation on in-hospital outcomes in patients with reduced versus preserved EF underwent TAVI. Methods This was a prospective observational study including 110 patients (72 patients with preserved EF (≥50%) and 38 patients with reduced EF (