Contributor: Nick Hatch, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an increasingly common endovascular procedure to treat aortic stenosis
• TAVR is an alternative to the open approach surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for patients who are inoperable or are high risk surgical candidates
• Following TAVR, there is increased risk of stroke, particularly in the first 30 days
• TAVR-related strokes are due to embolic debris left on the valve root, which is generally cleaned out during SAVR
• Further, following the procedure many patients are anticoagulated which increases the risk for conversion to hemorrhagic stroke
• Isolated, unexplained nausea and vomiting in elderly patients should prompt concern for a neurologic workup with imaging - even more so if they have recently undergone TAVR

References

Davlouros PA, Mplani VC, Koniari I, Tsigkas G, Hahalis G. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement and stroke: a comprehensive review. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2018;15(1):95-104. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2018.01.008

Gleason TG, Reardon MJ, Popma JJ, et al. 5-Year Outcomes of Self-Expanding Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in High-Risk Patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(22):2687-2696. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.2146

Siontis GCM, Overtchouk P, Cahill TJ, et al. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation vs. surgical aortic valve replacement for treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis: an updated meta-analysis. Eur Heart J. 2019;40(38):3143-3153. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz275

Summarized by Kirsten Hughes, MS4 | Edited by John Spartz MS4 & Erik Verzemnieks, MD

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