Left Ventricular Recovery after Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Compared with Conventional Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Aortic Regurgitation and Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background and Aim of the Study. To evaluate differences in left ventricular recovery after transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation and conventional aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic regurgitation and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Methods. All patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction who underwent aortic valve surgery for AR at our institution between January 2015 and November 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare left ventricular recovery and remodeling outcomes between the patient groups. Results. A total of 87 cases were included in this study, 36 patients for TA-TAVI and 51 patients for C-AVR. Transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation was associated with better and faster recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (adjusted beta = 0.002, 95% CI: 0.000 to 0.003, and p = 0.046; adjusted beta = 0.330, 95% CI: 0.185 to 0.474, and p < 0.001, respectively) within the first 3 months postoperatively compared with left ventricular ejection fraction, with the same improvement in New York Heart Association function class (adjusted beta = 0.381, 95% CI: -0.349 to 1.111, and p = 0.306). Conclusions. This study highlights patients who underwent transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic regurgitation with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. However, future randomized controlled prospective clinical trials with longer follow-up durations are required.