Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in an orthotopic heart transplant recipient with bicuspid aortic valve

Structural heart transcatheter interventions in orthotopic cardiac transplant and left ventricular assist devices recipients: A nationwide study

BACKGROUND

The current incidence and outcomes of structural transcatheter procedures in heart transplant (HTx) recipients and left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) carriers is unknown.

AIMS

To provide insights on structural transcatheter procedures performed across HTx and LVAD patients in Spain.

METHODS

Multicenter, ambispective, observational nationwide registry.

RESULTS

Until May/2023, 36 percutaneous structural interventions were performed (78% for HTx and 22% for LVAD) widely varying among centers (0%-1.4% and 0%-25%, respectively). Percutaneous mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge (TEER) was the most common (n = 12, 33.3%), followed by trancatheter aortic valve replacement (n = 11, 30.5%), and tricuspid procedures (n = 9, 25%). Mitral TEER resulted in mild residual mitral regurgitation in all but one case, mean gradient was <5 mmHg in 75% of them at 1-year, with no mortality and 8.3% re-admission rate. Tricuspid TEER resulted in 100% none/mild residual regurgitation with a 1-year mortality and readmission rates of 22% and 28.5%, respectively. Finally, trancatheter aortic valve replacement procedures (n = 8 in LVADs due to aortic regurgitation and n = 3 in HTx), were successful in all cases with one prosthesis degeneration leading to severe aortic regurgitation at 1-year, 18.2% mortality rate and no re-admissions. Globally, major bleeding rates were 7.9% and 12.5%, thromboembolic events 3.7% and 12.5%, readmissions 37% and 25%, and mortality 22% and 25%, in HTx and LVADs respectively. No death was related to the implanted transcatheter device.

CONCLUSIONS

Most centers with HTx/LVAD programs perform structural percutaneous procedures but with very inconsistent incidence. They were associated with good safety and efficacy, but larger studies are required to provide formal recommendations.

Management options of valvular heart diseases after heart transplantation: A scoping review

Background

This study aimed to outline the valvular changes following heart transplantation and describe the management options to address these conditions.

Methods

A literature search using EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases was performed in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines in this study. Clinical studies involving patients who had their first heart transplant and articles that mentioned management for valvular heart disease were included. Treatment options were grouped into four categories: cardiac surgery other than retransplant and valve surgery, valve replacement and repairs, nonsurgical interventions, and conservative management.

Results

Nine hundred and three (6.56%) patients out of 13,757 patients (10,529 males, 3,228 females; mean age: 60.3±10.4 years; range, 20 to 83 years) undergoing heart transplantation were identified with valvular disease affecting one or more valves. The mean interval between the transplant and the diagnosis of valve disease was 11.31±6.95 years. The most common valvular heart disease was tricuspid regurgitation, with 796 (94.09%) occurrences, followed by mitral regurgitation (n=22, 2.6%), aortic regurgitation (n=14, 1.65%), aortic stenosis (n=11, 1.3%), and mitral stenosis (n=3, 0.35%). Additionally, the number of surgical valve replacement and repairs (n=89) was higher than nonsurgical interventions (n=20).

Conclusion

Acquired valvular heart diseases after cardiac transplantation are an infrequent clinical presentation that can cause valvular changes in the recipient. According to the extracted data, there is no sole superior management option, and more research is needed in this area.

TAVI in a Heart Transplant Recipient-Rare Case Report and Review of the Literature

The global demand for cardiac transplants continues to rise, even with advancements in assistive devices. Currently, the estimated annual mortality rate stands at 3-5%, and patients often face a waiting time of approximately four years on transplant waiting lists. Consequently, many transplant centers have started to consider heart transplants from donors who may be deemed "less than ideal" or marginal. However, the decision to accept such donors must be highly individualized, taking into consideration the risks associated with remaining on the waiting list versus those posed by the transplantation procedure itself. A potential solution lies in the creation of two distinct recipient lists, matched with donor criteria, allowing marginal donors to provide the lifeline that selected patients require. This paper follows a two-step approach. Firstly, it offers an overview of the current state of affairs regarding the topic of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) patients. Secondly, it presents firsthand experience from our clinical center with a comprehensive case presentation of a patient in this unique medical context. The clinical case refers to a 62-year-old male patient, a smoker with a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and a prior OHT a decade earlier, who presented with fatigue during minimal physical exertion. The Heart Team carefully reviewed the case, considering the patient's immunosuppressed status and the heightened risk associated with a repeat intervention. In this instance, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was deemed the appropriate treatment. The TAVI procedure yielded successful results, leading to improved clinical status and enhanced cardiac function. The inclusion of marginal donors has introduced novel challenges related to the utilization of previously diseased marginal organs. TAVI has already demonstrated its efficacy and versatility in treating high-risk patients, including heart transplant recipients. Consequently, it emerges as a vital tool in addressing the unique challenges posed by the inclusion of marginal donors.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement among heart transplant recipients with donor aortic valve diseases: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Despite high surgical risk among heart transplant (HTx) recipients, who develop aortic valve diseases (AVD), transcutaneous aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been scarcely reported as a viable option in this patient population.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted to identify studies reporting the outcomes of HTx recipients who developed AVD of the donor heart and underwent TAVR. Studies were eligible if they provided individual-level data for HTx recipients, who underwent TAVR on the donor heart. Review articles, editorials or commentaries, studies lacking original data, or those reporting surgical valve replacement for AVD in HTx recipients were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 15 case reports, encompassing 15 patients, describing characteristics and outcomes of HTx recipients undergoing TAVR were included. These included 13 males and 2 females with an average age of 63.6±15 years. The indications for HTx were non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy and ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in 42.9%, 35.7%, and 21.4% of the patients, respectively. The main indication for aortic valve replacement (AVR) among HTx recipients was aortic stenosis (73.3%). The transcutaneous approach was preferred over surgical AVR due to high surgical risk in > 50% of the patients. Both pre-TAVR transvalvular pressure gradient and the peak aortic pressure gradient decreased after the TAVR. Paravalvular leak was minimal/none to mild in all the patients post-TAVR. Most patients had an uneventful post-TAVR recovery with no recurrence of the symptoms or echocardiographic finings at a median follow-up of 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

TAVR seems to be a viable option for HTx recipients who develop donor aortic valve diseases. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the long-term survivability of the replaced aortic valves and the clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of HTx recipients undergoing TAVR.

Outcomes following use of pediatric and young adult donor hearts with bicuspid aortic valves: A single-center case series

BACKGROUND

Valvular disease in pediatric and young adult donor hearts may be a relative contraindication to graft use. Outcomes following the use of donor hearts with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have not been previously reported in children. We describe 4 cases of pediatric heart transplantation (HTx) utilizing a donor heart with a BAV.

CASE SERIES

Of the 469 HTx included in this study, 4 utilized a donor heart with a BAV. All recipients were female; median age was 11 years (range 0.3 to 19 years). In all cases, the BAV was not discovered until after HTx. All donors were less than 30 years old. The patients were followed for a median of 6 years (range 2 to 9 years) with all patients alive at last follow-up. Two patients have transitioned to adult care, and 2 patients continue to follow in our clinic. In follow-up, no patient has required an aortic valve intervention or had infective endocarditis. At last review, no patient had greater than mild aortic insufficiency or more than mild aortic stenosis. Three patients developed mild-to-moderate left ventricular hypertrophy in the first year post-transplant that improved over time. One patient experienced a peri-operative embolic stroke at time of transplant unrelated to the BAV.

CONCLUSION

On short- and intermediate-term follow-up, pediatric and young adult donor hearts with BAV demonstrated acceptable graft longevity and valvular function. A functionally normal BAV in a pediatric heart transplant donor should not be a contraindication to organ acceptance.