Women Have Better Survival One Year after TAVI

Though women are thought to be at higher risk of complications from transcatheter aortic valve implant (TAVI) than men, they have a higher survival rate than men one year after the procedure, according to a new study.

Researchers looked at data from a large registry of patients who underwent TAVI with older-generation devices between 2011 and 2014. Out of more than 23,000 patients, about half were women. Overall, the women were older, had higher predicted risk scores for early complications and were more likely to have other health issues before the procedure. They also experienced more complications related to their blood vessels while in hospital. However, death rates one year after the procedure were lower in women compared with men: 21.3% versus 24.5%.

“These findings are significant because it may mean heart teams are overestimating the risks of [TAVI] in some women and that also may mean that valve replacement is underutilized. In other words, some women who could benefit from TAVI may not be getting it,” said the study’s senior researcher, Roxana Mehran, MD, in an accompanying press release.