Outcome after valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis associated with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Because valve replacement for aortic stenosis (AS) remains a difficult surgical challenge in the presence of left ventricular dysfunction, the immediate and long-term outcomes, and evolution of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in this setting, were analyzed.

METHODS: Forty-three consecutive patients with severe AS (valve area < or =1 cm2) and reduced LVEF (< or =40%) who underwent valve replacement surgery at the authors' institution between April 1998 and December 2003 and were studied retrospectively.

RESULTS: Preoperative characteristics included: LVEF 33 +/- 6%, mean transaortic pressure gradient 46 +/- 13 mmHg, and aortic valve area 0.58 +/- 0.15 cm2. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 15 patients (35%). Perioperative (30-day) mortality was 2.3%, with 39.5% morbidity. During a mean follow up of 33.4 +/- 17.6 months, eight patients died. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of five-year survival was 75.3%. Postoperatively, none of the survivors remained in NYHA functional classes III-IV. The postoperative LVEF assessed in 81.8% of survivors had improved. Multivariate analysis associated improved LVEF with a higher preoperative mean transaortic pressure gradient (p = 0.0009) and a higher preoperative LVEF (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION: Patients with severe AS and reduced LVEF can undergo valve replacement with low perioperative mortality and moderate postoperative morbidity. Good long-term survival with good NYHA functional status and improved LVEF can be obtained.