Percutaneous and surgical aortic valve replacement. Impact of volume and type of center on results

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction and objectives: To analyze if there is an association between certain structural variables of the treating centres (availability of cardiac surgery and an intensive care unit [CICU] led by cardiologists) and the volume of procedures performed that may be impacting the results of surgical (SAVR) or transcatheter (TAVI) aortic valve treatment. Methods: Retrospective and observational study of all patients discharged from hospitals from the Spanish National Health System who underwent a SAVR or a TAVI procedure. The source of the data was the administrative minimum basic data set. The outcome variables analyzed were in-hospital mortality, length of stay (both of them risk-adjusted), and presence of complications. As structural variables for the centers studied we used the availability of cardiac surgeries and CICU. Results: A total of 2055 TAVI and 15 146 SAVR episodes were identified. The adjustment models for in-hospital mortality showed good discrimination (AUC for the SAVR and TAVI model: 0.84; 95%CI, 0.82-0.85) and calibration (P < .001). The model median odds ratio was 1.73, indicative of a high inter-hospital variability. High-volume hospitals, with cardiac surgery services, and CICU-capable centers had the lowest risk-adjusted mortality rate in both procedures. Conclusions: A consistent association is observed between the structural characteristics of the treating centers and the results of aortic valve management both surgical and transcatheter. Also, the availability of a CICU could be a relevant factor in the outcomes of these procedures.

Keywords

• TAVI
• Volume
• Results
• Aortic stenosis
• Surgery