Comparison of dual antiplatelet therapy versus oral anticoagulation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A retrospective single-center registry analysis

Background: The choice of optimal antithrombotic regimen after transcatheter aortic valve replace-ment (TAVR) remains a matter of debate. The objective of this study was to compare both efficacy and safety outcomes based on the type of antithrombotic therapy prescribed after TAVR Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 514 consecutive patients treated with either dual antiplate¬let therapy (DAPT) (n = 315; 61.3%) or oral anticoagulation (OAC) plus clopidogrel (n = 199; 38.7%) for a minimum of 3 months after TAVR followed by antiplatelet monotherapy or OAC only, respectively. Patients had pre-defined clinical and echocardiographic follow-ups at 30 days, 6 and 12 months. The key efficacy endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke and valve throm¬bosis at 1 year. The key safety endpoint was the occurrence of life-threatening/major bleeding at 1 year. Results: Baseline characteristics did not differ between both groups, except for a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation in the OAC group. No significant differences in both efficacy and safety endpoints were observed at 30 days and 6 months. At 1 year, the key efficacy endpoint occurred in 21.5% of the DAPT group compared to 19.7% of the OAC group (p = 0.61). The key safety endpoint occurred in 25.1% and 27.8%, respectively (p = 0.53). However, after 1 year valve thrombosis was reported in 8 (2.5%) patients in the DAPT group but not in the OAC group (p = 0.02). Conclusions: OAC after TAVR seems to reduce the risk of clinical valve thrombosis without a statisti-cally significant increase in bleeding complications

1-Year outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable versus self-expandable valves

BACKGROUND The use of a balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve previously resulted in a greater rate of device success compared with a self-expandable transcatheter heart valve. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and echocardiographic outcome data at longer term follow-up. METHODS The investigator-initiated trial randomized 241 high-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and anatomy suitable for treatment with both balloon- and self-expandable transcatheter heart valves to transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement with either device. Patients were followed-up for 1 year, with assessment of clinical outcomes and echocardiographic evaluation of valve function. RESULTS At 1 year, the rates of death of any cause (17.4% vs. 12.8%; relative risk [RR]: 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73 to 2.50; p ¼ 0.37) and of cardiovascular causes (12.4% vs. 9.4%; RR: 1.32; 95% CI: 0.63 to 2.75; p ¼ 0.54) were not statistically significantly different in the balloon- and self-expandable groups, respectively. The frequencies of all strokes (9.1% vs. 3.4%; RR: 2.66; 95% CI: 0.87 to 8.12; p ¼ 0.11) and repeat hospitalization for heart failure (7.4% vs. 12.8%; RR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.26 to 1.27; p ¼ 0.19) did not statistically significantly differ between the 2 groups. Elevated transvalvular gradients during follow-up were observed in 4 patients in the balloon-expandable group (3.4% vs. 0%; p ¼ 0.12); all were resolved with anticoagulant therapy, suggesting a thrombotic etiology. More than mild paravalvular regurgitation was more frequent in the self-expandable group (1.1% vs. 12.1%; p ¼ 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Despite the higher device success rate with the balloon-expandable valve, 1-year follow-up of patients in CHOICE (Randomized Comparison of Transcatheter Heart Valves in High Risk Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis: Medtronic CoreValve Versus Edwards SAPIEN XT Trial), with limited statistical power, revealed clinical outcomes after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement with both balloon- and self-expandable prostheses that were not statistically significantly different. (A Comparison of Transcatheter Heart Valves in High Risk Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis: The CHOICE Trial; NCT01645202) (J Am Coll Cardiol 2015;66:791–800) © 2015 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Extension of a Coronary Intramural Hematoma as a Complication of Early Percutaneous Coronary Intervention after Thrombolytic Therapy

The optimal treatment approach for coronary intramural hematomas has not been well defined, and discussion is limited to scarce data. In addition, the impact of prior thrombolytic therapy in the setting of coronary artery dissections with possible development and/or extension of an intramural hematoma is not well understood. We describe a case of iatrogenic periprocedural dissection of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) with development of an intramural hematoma and the extension of this hematoma to the left main (LM) and left circumflex (LCX) arteries in a middle-aged female, where prior recent thrombolytic therapy may have played a role in its triggering or facilitation of its extension. This case highlights the importance of facilitation of bleeding complications by prior use of thrombolytic therapy not only peripherally but intracoronary too and the use of intravascular ultrasound for both diagnosis, followup, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guidance

Dual Antithrombotic Therapy with Clopidogrel and Novel Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Real-world Study

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