Impact of surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve implantation on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular controls: A pilot study

Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are options in severe aortic valve stenosis (AVS). Cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular (CBV) control markers, derived from variability of heart period, systolic arterial pressure, mean cerebral blood velocity and mean arterial pressure, were acquired in 19 AVS patients (age: 76.8 ± 3.1 yrs, eight males) scheduled for SAVR and in 19 AVS patients (age: 79.9 + 6.5 yrs, 11 males) scheduled for TAVI before (PRE) and after intervention (POST, <7 days). Left ventricular function was preserved in both groups. Patients were studied at supine resting (REST) and during active standing (STAND). We found that: (i) both SAVR and TAVI groups featured a weak pre-procedure CV control; (ii) TAVI ensured better CV control; (iii) cerebral autoregulation was working in PRE in both SAVR and TAVI groups; (iv) SAVR and TAVI had no impact on the CBV control; (v) regardless of group, CV and CBV control markers were not influenced by STAND in POST. Even though the post-procedure preservation of both CV and CBV controls in TAVI group might lead to privilege this procedure in patients at higher risk, the missing response to STAND suggests that this advantage could be insignificant.