Alkhouli, Mohamad

Key Points The optimal management of acute decompensated aortic stenosis (AS) remains a clinical conundrum. Urgent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is feasible and associated with lower readmissions rates than urgent balloon aortic valvuloplasty. In contemporary practice, TAVI may be the treatment of choice of patients admitted with acute decompensated AS.

Background: Tricuspid edge to edge repair (TEER) is a novel treatment for severe tricuspid regurgitation and is highly dependent on intraprocedural image quality. To date, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been the primary imaging modality used to guide TEER. The role of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has not been assessed. The objective of this study was to describe the use and role of 2-dimensional ICE in the early experience of TEER. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing TEER (with or without concomitant mitral repair) with off-label use of MitraClip (Abbott, Santa Clara, CA) were included in the study. Utilization of 2-dimensional ICE in comparison with TEE imaging were collected in each procedure through retrospective review of the procedural reports and images. Results: Of 42 TEER cases, ICE was used in 15 (36%) and concomitant mitral repair was performed in 37 (86%). ICE was increasingly used over time for TEER. ICE was able to visualize the tricuspid leaflets with high resolution and provided superior leaflet visualization to TEE in 40% of cases where it was used. Patients treated with ICE guidance tended to have a greater baseline severity of tricuspid regurgitation compared with patients treated with TEE guidance alone (8/15 [53%] massive or greater tricuspid regurgitation versus 6/27 [22%]; P =0.09). Degree of tricuspid regurgitation reduction was similar with TEE alone versus ICE plus TEE guidance (1.9±1.0 versus 2.1±1.1 grade reduction, P =0.28). Conclusions: ICE was increasingly used in the early experience of TEER over time. ICE facilitates leaflet visualization for grasping and is a useful adjunct to TEE during TEER.

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the safety of eliminating the pre‐discharge transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) on 30‐day outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).BackgroundTTE is utilized before, during, and after TAVR. Post‐procedural, pre‐discharge TTE assists in assessment of prosthesis function and detection of clinically significant paravalvular leak (PVL) after TAVR.MethodsPatients who underwent TAVR at Mayo Clinic from July 2018 to July 2019 were included in a prospective institutional registry. Patients undergoing TAVR prior to February 2019 received a pre‐discharge TTE, while those undergoing TAVR after February 2019 did not. Both cohorts were evaluated with TTE at 30 days post‐TAVR.ResultsA total of 330 consecutive patients were included. Of these, 160 patients (age 81.1 ± 7.6) had routine pre‐discharge TTE, while 170 patients (age 78.9 ± 7.5) were dismissed without routine pre‐discharge TTE. Mortality at 30 days was similar between the two groups (0% and 1.2%, respectively). One episode of PVL requiring intervention (0.6%) occurred in the pre‐discharge TTE group and none in the group without pre‐discharge TTE at 30‐day follow‐up. There was a similar incidence of total composite primary and secondary adverse events between the cohort receiving a pre‐discharge TTE and those without (28.1% vs. 25.3%, P = 0.56) at 30 days. The most common event was need for permanent pacemaker or ICD implantation in both groups (13.1% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.71).ConclusionsElimination of the pre‐discharge TTE is safe and associated with comparable 30‐day outcomes to routine pre‐discharge TTE. These findings have implication for TAVR practice cost‐efficiency and health care utilization.

AbstractBackgroundThe predictors and clinical significance of increased Doppler‐derived mean diastolic gradient (MG) following transcatheter edge‐to‐edge mitral valve repair (MVTEER) remain controversial.ObjectiveWe sought to examine baseline correlates of Doppler‐derived increased MG post‐MVTEER and its impact on intermediate‐term outcomes.MethodsPatients undergoing MVTEER were analyzed retrospectively. Post‐MVTEER increased MG was defined as >5 mmHg or aborted clip implantation due to increased MG intraprocedurally. Baseline MG and 3D‐guided mitral valve area (MVA) by planimetry were retrospectively available in 233 and 109 patients.Results243 patients were included; 62 (26%) had MG > 5 mmHg post‐MVTEER or aborted clip insertion, including 7 (11%) that had aborted clip implantation. Mortality occurred in 63 (26%) during a median follow up of 516 days (IQR 211, 1021). Increased post‐MVTEER MG occurred more frequently in females (44% vs. 16%, p < 0.001), those with baseline MVA <4.0 cm2 (71% vs. 16%), baseline MG ≥4 mmHg (61% vs. 20%), or multiple clips implanted (33% vs. 21%, p = 0.04). Increased post‐MVTEER MG was associated with increased subsequent mortality compared to those with normal gradient (HR 1.91 95% CI 1.15–3.18 p = 0.016) as was aborted clip insertion compared to all others (HR 5.23 95% CI 2.06–13.28 p < 0.001).ConclusionsSmaller baseline MVA and increased baseline MG are associated with increased MG post‐MVTEER and patients with a Doppler‐derived post‐MVTEER MG >5 mmHg suffered excess subsequent mortality. In high risk patients considered for MVTEER, identification of those at risk of iatrogenic mitral stenosis with MVTEER is important as they may be optimally treated with alternate surgical or transcatheter therapies.

BACKGROUND The United States (US)‐Mexico border is a socioeconomically underserved area. We sought to investigate whether stroke‐related mortality varies between the US border and nonborder counties. METHODS AND RESULTS We used death certificates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide‐Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database to examine stroke‐related mortality in border versus nonborder counties in California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. We measured average annual percent changes (AAPCs) in age‐adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100 000 between 1999 and 2018. Overall, AAMRs were higher for nonborder counties, older adults, men, and non‐Hispanic Black adults than their counterparts. Between 1999 and 2018, AAMRs reduced from 55.8 per 100 000 to 34.4 per 100 000 in the border counties (AAPC, −2.70) and 64.5 per 100 000 to 37.6 per 100 000 in nonborder counties (AAPC, −2.92). The annual percent change in AAMR initially decreased, followed by stagnation in both border and nonborder counties since 2012. The AAPC in AAMR decreased in all 4 states; however, AAMR increased in California’s border counties since 2012 (annual percent change, 3.9). The annual percent change in AAMR decreased for older adults between 1999 and 2012 for the border (−5.10) and nonborder counties (−5.01), followed by a rise in border counties and stalling in nonborder counties. Although the AAPC in AAMR decreased for both sexes, the AAPC in AAMR differed significantly for non‐Hispanic White adults in border (−2.69) and nonborder counties (−2.86). The mortality decreased consistently for all other ethnicities/races in both border and nonborder counties. CONCLUSIONS Stroke‐related mortality varied between the border and nonborder counties. Given the substantial public health implications, targeted interventions aimed at vulnerable populations are required to improve stroke‐related outcomes in the US‐Mexico border area.

Background Contemporary nationwide data on the use, predictors, and outcomes of mechanical valve replacement in patients less than 70 years of age are limited. Methods and Results We identified hospitalizations for aortic valve replacement (AVR) or mitral valve replacement (MVR) in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017. The study's end points included predictors of mechanical valve replacement and risk‐adjusted in‐hospital mortality. Among 253 100 hospitalizations for AVR, the use rate of mechanical prosthesis decreased from 45.3% in 2008 to 17.0% in 2017. Among 284 962 hospitalizations for MVR, mechanical prosthesis use decreased from 59.5% in 2008 to 29.2% in 2017 ( P for trend<0.001). In multilogistic regression analyses, female sex, prior sternotomy, prior defibrillator, and South/West geographic location were predictive of mechanical valve use. The presence of bicuspid valve was a negative predictor of mechanical AVR (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.66–0.69; P <0.001), whereas mitral stenosis was associated with higher mechanical MVR (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.22–1.33; P <0.001). Unadjusted in‐hospital mortality decreased over time with AVR but not with MVR, regardless of prosthesis choice. Using years 2008 and 2009 as a reference, risk‐adjusted mortality also decreased over time with AVR but did not decrease after MVR. Conclusions There is a substantial decline in the use of mechanical valve replacement among patients aged ≤70 years in the United States. Long‐term durability data on bioprosthetic valve replacement are needed to better define the future role of mechanical valves in this age group.

Introduction: Heart failure with low ejection fraction (EF) is a known risk factor for stroke. Low EF is associated with increased risk of thrombus formation and is accompanied with 2 to 3 fold increased risk of stroke. This can happen even in the absence of atrial fibrillation. Hypothesis: Our hypothesis was that size of the stroke will be larger in patients with reduction in EF as compared with cardioembolic strokes in preserved EF. The worse the EF, the more stagnation of blood and poor cardiac output leading higher risk of thrombus formation. It’s also likely that the group with reduced EF form a larger thrombus leading to larger stroke as compared to the group with preserved EF. Methods: For our analysis, we retrospectively reviewed charts for 49 acute ischemic stroke patients without atrial fibrillation. We used transthoracic echocardiogram to determine the EF. There are 25 patients with preserved EF, cutoff > 50%. There were 24 patients in reduced EF group. Both groups were matched for age and cardiovascular risk factors. Infarct volume was manually calculated from T1 MRI using BrainLab software. Results: There is an inverse correlation between EF and infarct volume (r=-.283, p=.048) meaning patients with reduced EF had greater infarct volume. Median infarct volume is higher in reduced EF group (median volume = 36 cm 3 ) compared to patients with preserved EF (median volume = 11 cm 3 ) (p=.117). Conclusions: In our patient’s sample, there seems to be an inverse correlation between EF and size of stroke. Patients with reduced EF were associated with larger strokes. Larger studies need to be performed to establish a correlation.

Background: Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) devices have successfully provided an alternative therapeutic option in patients with atrial fibrillation and high bleeding risk. However, patients with thrombocytopenia (TP) were underrepresented in the milestone trials, and the optimal strategy of postprocedural antithrombotic therapy in this group of patients remains unclear. Methods: Patients were identified from the National Cardiac Database Registry - LAAO database at all three Mayo Clinic sites in the period from 1/2016-10/2019. Patients were further divided into TP (platelet &lt; 150 x 10^9/L) and control (platelet &gt; 150 x 10^9 /L) groups for clinical outcome analysis. Outcome endpoints include composite of bleeding (GI bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke, and other non-intracranial hemorrhage) and composite thrombotic events (device thrombus, ischemic stroke, TIA and undetermined stroke). Results: A total of 249 consecutive patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 76.7 ± 7.2 years, and 169 (67.9%) were male; 242 (97.2%) were white. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 5.3 ±1.5, and the HAS-BLED score was 3.0 ± 1.1. TP at baseline was present in 74 (29.7%) patients. The median follow-up time was 6.8 months. The use of post-procedural antithrombotic regimens was similar between the two groups (Table 1). When comparing the TP group to control, there was no significant difference in composite bleeding events (10.8% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.069) and thrombotic events (2.7% vs. 2.3%, P= 0.170). Conclusions: The presence of baseline TP does not significantly increase post-procedural bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter patients who underwent an LAAO occlusion procedure with the Watchman device (Boston Scientific). This group of patients can be treated with the same antithrombotic regimen as patients with normal platelet levels. Future studies are still warranted to determine the optimal antithrombotic regimen.