Transcatheter aortic valve implantation with different valve designs for severe device landing zone calcification

Severe device landing zone calcification (DLZ-CA) predicted paravalvular leak (PVL) and post-dilatation (PD) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to determine the influence of DLZ-CA on PVL or PD rates after SAPIEN XT (XT) versus CoreValve (CV). We analyzed patients undergoing TAVI who had severe DLZ-CA. Severe DLZ-CA defined the upper left ventricular outflow tract calcification; the cross-sectional region 2 mm inferior to the annular plane. PVL was evaluated at 30- days using transthoracic echocardiography. Overall, 133 patients had XT-TAVI and the remaining 41 patients had CVTAVI. Two patients had annulus injury in the XT group (oversizing 20.2% and 20.5% for two XT cases). PD was less frequently performed in the XT group (34.1% versus 12.8%; P = 0.002), but PVL rates were similar between both groups (42.1% versus 41.5% for the XT and CV groups, respectively; P = 0.94). Importantly, excessive oversizing or the degree of filling volume was not associated with decreased PVL after XT-TAVI (P = non-significant for all). On multivariate analysis, CV-TAVI was found to be one of the independent predictors of need for PD (Odds ratio 3.63, 95% confidence interval 1.55 to 8.53, P = 0.003). In the setting of severe DLZ-CA, XT and CV have similar rates of PVL but XT had less need for PD. Excessive oversizing with XT carries a risk of root injury which could be further increased by DLZ-CA.