This study aimed to evaluate changes in volume, risk profile, and outcomes among elderly individuals undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) after TAVR approval in the United States. Retrospective cohort study of patients ≥65 years old with at least one procedural code for isolated SAVR or TAVR among the Medicare beneficiaries between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014. A total of 137,563 hospitalizations for isolated AVR between 2009 and 2014 were included (SAVR: 102,968 [74.9%]; TAVR: 34,595 [25.1%]). Overall AVR volumes increased by 21.8% per year after TAVR introduction, compared with 2.3% prior (p ≪ 0.001). Changes in SAVR volumes were similar both before and after TAVR introduction, (2.3% per year growth before vs. 2.1% after, p = 0.24). Although patient risk profiles increased among the AVR population (predicted 30-day mortality 4.0% in 2009 vs. 5.4% in 2014; p for trend =0.048), observed 30-day mortality (4.0% in 2009 vs. 3.9% in 2014; p for trend =0.96) and 1-year mortality (10.8% in 2009 to 12.2% in 2014; p for trend =0.069) rates remained stable. Among elderly U.S. patients enrolled in the Medicare, the introduction and the dissemination in the early phase of TAVR was associated with an expansion of AVR to high risk patients, without an observed reduction in the use of SAVR. This expansion was associated with similar mortality among all AVR patients, despite an increase in patient risk.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.