Study confirms benefits of transcatheter aortic valve replacement over 3 years

Results of PARTNER Cohort B trial presented at TCT 2012

2012-10-25

(Press-News.org) MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 24, 2012 – A study found that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) yielded lower mortality rates after three years compared with medical therapy in patients deemed to be ineligible for conventional aortic valve surgery. Results of the PARTNER Cohort B trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

TAVR is the recommended treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not suitable candidates for surgery. Outcomes beyond two years in such patients have not yet been extensively studied.

Inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) were randomly assigned to transfemoral TAVR or to standard therapy (which often included balloon aortic valvuloplasty) in the PARTNER trial. Data on three-year outcomes were analyzed according to intention to treat (ITT).

A total of 358 patients underwent randomization at 21 centers. The Kaplan Meier estimated rates of death at three years were 54.1 percent in the TAVR group and 80.9 percent in the standard-therapy group (P END

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