Comparison of transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement long-term outcomes: A retrospective cohort study with overlap propensity score weighting

Abstract

Background and aims Randomised controlled trials comparing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) were performed in highly selected populations and data regarding long-term secondary complications beyond mortality are scarce. This study used data from Ontario, Canada to compare mid-term and long-term clinical outcomes in a representative real-world cohort of patients who underwent TAVR and SAVR from 2007 to 2016. Methods A novel overlap weighting propensity score method was used to match patients undergoing TAVR or SAVR. Primary outcomes were all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality either in-hospital or at 1, 3 and 5 years postdischarge. Secondary outcomes included adverse outcomes and readmission. Long-term primary and secondary outcomes were compared using a weighted competing risks subdistribution proportional hazards model. Results The study included 9355 SAVR and 2641 TAVR patients. All-cause mortality at 1 year (HR 1.21; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.43), 3 years (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.28 to 1.64) and 5 years (HR 1.48; 95% CI 1.33 to 1.65) was significantly higher among patients underwent TAVR compared with SAVR, with both cardiovascular mortality at 3 and 5 years and non-cardiovascular mortality at 1, 3 and 5 years significantly higher for TAVR. Hazards of myocardial infarction and readmission for angina at 1, 3 and 5 years were significantly greater for TAVR. Conclusions In this overlap weighted cohort, both cardiac and non-cardiac mortality rates were increased in TAVR patients. Residual or unmeasured confounding may have contributed to these findings. More studies are needed to identify factors predictive of long-term outcomes in real-world cohorts.