OBJECTIVE To assess the change in peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) and determine its outcome predictors after aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS Patients with AS and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction who were referred for single AVR had cardiopulmonary exercise testing prior to and 9 months post-AVR. Predictors of outcome for pVO2 were determined by mult...

AIMS Reduced stroke volume index (SVI) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved ejection fraction (EF) is associated with adverse outcomes even after aortic valve replacement (AVR), although specific reasons for impaired survival in this group are unknown. We investigated predictors of post-AVR survival and specific cause of death in patients with AS according to SVI. METHOD...

BACKGROUND Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who were deemed too high risk or inoperable for conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR) in the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) trial were randomized to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) versus AVR (PARTNER-A arm) or standard therapy (PARTNER-B arm). OBJECTIVES This study compared when and how deaths occurr...

BACKGROUND The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group (NNE) recently published risk models for hospital mortality after heart valve surgery. The Providence Health System Cardiovascular Study Group (PHS) has been collecting similar heart valve data for 8 years, providing an ideal opportunity to both validate the NNE risk models and attempt to produce an improved model, by using ...

BACKGROUND The influence of moderately reduced kidney function on late survival after surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) is unknown. We analyzed survival after AVR in patients with moderately reduced kidney function. METHODS AND RESULTS All patients who underwent primary AVR in Sweden 1997-2013 were identified from the Swedish Web system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based ...

BACKGROUND In compensated aortic stenosis (AS), cardiac performance measured at the ventricular chamber is typically supranormal, whereas measurements at the myocardium are often impaired. We investigated intramyocardial mechanics after aortic valve replacement (AVR) and the effects relative to the presence or absence of coronary artery disease (CAD+ or CAD-), respectively. METHODS AND RESULT...

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is the only effective treatment for symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). In the ideal candidate, the operative mortality associated with AVR is 4%.1 With increasing age, patients with AS acquire other comorbidities that increase their surgical risk to prohibitive levels, limiting their surgical options. It is estimated that at least 30% of the patients with severe AS...