No abstract

Introduction: Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) require multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) when considered for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Incidental findings on MDCT are common given the age group and region imaged. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency and outcome of incidental findings (IF) identified on MDCT and the impact on survival.Methods: This single-centre analysis retrospectively reviewed severe AS patients who underwent MDCT during TAVI workup. MDCT reports were reviewed for any IF and defined into three categories: IF of no relevant clinical significance (IF-NoCS), IF of non-immediate clinical significance (IF-NICS) and IF of immediate clinical significance (IF-ICS). Demographics, follow-up of IF and survival were calculated from MDCT date. Results: Two hundred and sixty-five patients underwent MDCT for TAVI suitability (mean age 83 AE 6 years, 52% male). The majority proceeded to TAVI (65%). Renal lesions (25%) and lung nodules (18%) were the most common IF. Fifty-nine patients (22%) had IF-NICS; 39% (23/59) were benign, 59% were not further investigated and one patient had suspected lung cancer. Six patients (2.3%) had IF-ICS and all were diagnosed with lung cancer. During a median follow-up of 272 days, there was no survival difference between patients with IF-ICS or IF-NICS versus patients without IF or IF-NoCS in the overall cohort (P = 0.44) or in TAVI patients (P = 0.88). Conclusion: Incidental findings on MDCT are common with one-quarter having IF-ICS or IF-NCIS. Most patients with IF-NICS did not undergo further investigation. Standardized reporting of MDCT may assist in clarifying the need for further investigation which will in turn influence decision and timing to proceed with TAVI.

Objective: To compare clinical and functional outcomes of regional and urban patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis. Methods: Data were collected at patient follow-up post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation at 30 days and 12 months. Patients were stratified by residential postcodes into remoteness areas using the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. Design: Retrospective cohort study.Setting: Single-centre tertiary referral hospital.Participants: Patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (n = 142) from 2009 to 2018 were analysed, with 77 patients (54.2%) residing in regional Victoria and New South Wales. Main outcome measures: Procedural success, adverse event rates, readmission rates, mortality rates, loss to follow-up and functional improvement. Results: Patients residing in regional areas had a lower mean age (81.8 vs 83.7 years) and proportion of Stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease (1.3% vs 9.2%), compared with urban patients. Procedural characteristics and immediate post-procedural outcomes were similar between both groups. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality, readmission rates or loss to follow-up between the two cohorts. Regional patients demonstrated poorer rates of functional improvement at 30 days (50.7% vs 67.7%); however, this difference was not sustained at 12 months (79.2% vs 71.0%). Frailty was demonstrated to be an independent predictor of poor 30-day functional improvement. Conclusion: Regional patients treated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis have non-inferior 30-day and 12-month outcomes, when compared with urban patients. Frailty is a predictor of poor functional improvement post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation. K E Y W O R D Scardiovascular medicine, health systems, models of regional service delivery, rural population health, therapeutics How to cite this article: Paleri S, Tham JL-M, Jin D, et al. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis in the Australian regional population.