Transcatheter aortic valve impatation:First experience of minimally invasive treatment in Republic of Moldova

Abstract

Introduction Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most prevalent primary heart valve disease and the third most prevalent cardiovascular disease in the world, having a severe and slowly progressive evolution. The implementation of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is necessary because the population is constantly ageing, and most elderly people have various comorbidities, which places them among patients with high surgical risk.Purpose Assessment TAVI effectiveness in the treatment of aortic valve stenosis. Being the first team of doctors who performed TAVI in our country, we have the opportunity to report the data of a series of cases, with clinical results at 9 months after the procedure. Material and methods Three patients with severe symptomatic AS and high surgical risk underwent TAVI implantation using Portico valves. The patients were tested with angio-CT and echocardiography before de procedure.The procedure was done under fluoroscopic guidance and on the right are shown the prosthetic valve delivery steps, (1)- . Balloon valvuloplasty of the native AoV, (2)- Prosthetic valve positioning, (3)-Expanded prosthetic valve.Results The mean age was 76.7 ± 1.2 years, 2 women and 1 man. The mean Logistic EuroSCORE II was 5.68 ± 0.67%. Procedural success was achieved in all (100%) patients. After the intervention, it was shown that the GP mean decreased by an average of 20.27±1.61 mmHg, the Vmax of the jet through AoV decreased on average by 2.05±0.19 m/s, and they were maintained all over the nine months follow-up period (table 1). Quality of life, using the TASQ (Toronto Aortic Stenosis Quality of Life) questionnaire, was improved by 62.3 ± 2.2 points.Conclusions : TAVI, as a new minimally invasive method of treatment for aortic valve stenosis appears to be safe, with a low rate of early and late complications in elderly patients at high surgical risk, with good clinical outcomes at 9 months. Its implementation in the Republic of Moldova is welcome in the conditions of continuously ageing population and the prevalence of associated comorbidities.