Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the Catheterization Laboratory Versus Hybrid Operating Room: Insights From the FRANCE TAVI Registry.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare outcomes of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in a catheterization laboratory (cath lab) to those undergoing TAVR in a hybrid operating room (OR).

BACKGROUND: TAVR can be performed in a cath lab or in a hybrid OR. Comparisons between these locations are scarce.

METHODS: All TAVRs performed in 48 centers across France between January 2013 and December 2015 were prospectively included in the FRANCE TAVI (French Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) registry. The primary endpoint of this study was all-cause mortality at 1 year. Secondary endpoints consisted of 30-day complications and 3-year mortality. All analyses were adjusted for baseline and procedural characteristics.

RESULTS: A total of 12,121 patients were included in this study, 62% of which underwent TAVR in a cath lab versus 38% in a hybrid OR. Mean age was 82.9 ± 7.2 years, 48.9% of patients were men, and mean Logistic EuroScore was 17.9% ± 12.3%. Both procedure locations showed similar, below 2% rates of intraprocedural complications. After adjusting for baseline and procedural characteristics, major bleeding and infections were significantly higher in the hybrid OR group (bleeding, 6.3% vs. 4.8%; infection, 6.1% vs. 3.5%; p < 0.05). Adjusted mortality rates at 1 and 3 years did not differ significantly between groups (for cath lab vs. hybrid OR, respectively: 1 year: 16.2% vs. 15.8%; p = 0.91; 3 years: 38.4% vs. 36.4%; p = 0.49).

CONCLUSIONS: Midterm mortality after TAVR was similar between the cath lab and the hybrid OR. These findings support the performance of TAVR in either location, which has important implications on health care organization and costs.