Incidence rate and predictors of permanent pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation with self-expanding CoreValve prosthesis

Conduction disorders and permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation are common complications in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Previous studies, evaluating small populations, have identified several different predictors of PPM implantation after TAVI. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence rate of conduction disorders and the predictors of postoperative PPM requirement in a large series of patients undergoing TAVI. Data were analyzed from 181 consecutive patients at high-risk surgery who underwent TAVI at our institute between July 2007 and April 2011. All patients underwent implantation of the third-generation percutaneous self-expanding CoreValveA (R) prosthesis (CoreValve, Inc., Irvine, CA, USA). In all patients, a 12-lead electrocardiogram and a 24-h holter monitoring was recorded before and after the procedure in order to assess the presence of conduction disorders. Clinical data, preoperative conduction disorders, echocardiographic patterns, and procedural data were tested as predictors of PPM implantation after TAVI. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) was the most common conduction disorder, with an incidence of 50.3% at discharge. Fifty-two (32.1%) patients developed a persistent complete AVB requiring PPM implantation. PPM implantation was strongly correlated with the presence of preoperative right bundle branch block (RBBB) which was found to be the only independent predictor of PPM implantation (HR 16.5, CI 3.3-82.3, p < 0.001). LBBB and PPM implantation requirement after TAVI are common occurrences using the self-expanding CoreValve prosthesis. In this large series of consecutive patients, only RBBB was found to be a strong predictor of PPM requirement.