Outcomes Following Subclavian and Axillary Artery Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Society of the Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT Registry Report

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency and outcomes of patients who underwent transsubclavian or transaxillary (TAx) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using the balloon-expandable SAPIEN 3 prosthesis compared with traditional alternative access, transapical (TA) and transaortic (TAo). Background: The transsubclavian and TAx approaches for TAVR are rapidly growing alternatives in the setting of hostile iliofemoral arteries, yet few data exist. Methods: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT (Transcatheter Valve Therapy) Registry was queried for all patients undergoing TAx TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 prosthesis from June 2015 to February 2018. Secular trends over time were evaluated. Logistic regression analyses used to assess risk-adjusted outcomes. Propensity score matching was used to compare TAx access with TA and TAo access. Results: In total, 3,628 patients (5.7%) underwent nontransfemoral access with the SAPIEN 3. Overall, TAx TAVR accounted for 1,249 of these patients (34.4%). There has been rapid recent growth in TAx TAVR (from 20.2% in the third quarter of 2015 to 49.0% in the fourth quarter of 2017; p < 0.001 for trend) and a concomitant decrease in TA and TAo access (from 61.9% in the third quarter of 2015 to 35.3% in the fourth quarter of 2017; p < 0.001 for trend). The median number of TAx TAVR cases per hospital during the study period was 2, and 78.2% of centers performed ≤5 TAx TAVR procedures. The device success rate was 97.3%, and the major vascular complication rate was 2.5%. After propensity matching, TAx access had lower 30-day mortality (5.3% vs. 8.4%; p < 0.01), shorter lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stay, but a higher stroke rate (6.3% vs. 3.1%; p < 0.05) compared with TA and TAo access. Conclusions: TAx access has become the most frequent alternative access route for balloon-expandable TAVR procedures. Outcomes following TAx TAVR appear positive despite the relatively early experience of most centers performing these cases.