Intracardiac Doppler Echocardiography for Monitoring of Pulmonary Artery Pressures in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background: Uncontrolled pulmonary hypertension may cause worse outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), while hemodynamic monitoring is desirable for risk control. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) readings obtained by intracardiac Doppler echocardiography were evaluated. Methods: In 114 patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis and median Society of Thoracic Surgeons scores of 10.5% (interquartile range, 7.7%-15.0%), transfemoral and transapical TAVR was guided by intracardiac Doppler echocardiography. The continuous-wave Doppler beam interrogated the jet of tricuspid regurgitation from the home view'' position. Systolic PAP (PAP(s)) was estimated as the sum of the pressure gradient derived from the maximum transtricuspid regurgitation jet velocity and the central venous pressure. Mean PAP (PAP(m)) was calculated by the mean gradient method (1) and the Chemla formula (2). Measurements were obtained immediately before and after TAVR. Results: Pre- and postinterventional readings showed marginal pressure underestimation in comparison with measurements derived from right-heart catheterization: PAP(s), -2.7 (95% CI, -3.3 to 2.1) and -1.4 (95% CI, -1.9 to -0.9); PAP(m) by the mean gradient method, -1.9 (95% CI, -2.2 to -1.6) and -0.1 (95% CI, -0.4 to 0.2). Agreement (95% limits) for PAP(s) was -8.6 to 3.2 and -6.8 to 4.0; agreement for PAP(m) by the mean gradient method was 5.4 to 1.6 and 3.4 to 3.2. The repeatability coefficient (95% limits of agreement) for PAP(s) was excellent: 3.4 (-4.2 to 2.5) and 5.5 (-5.3 to 5.8); repeatability for PAP(m) was higher by the mean gradient method than by the Chemla method. In >= 85% of patients with pulmonary hypertension, PAP(m) improved after valve deployment. Conclusions: Intracardiac Doppler echocardiography- derived monitoring of PAP by the mean gradient method is accurate and well applicable to high- risk TAVR candidates for intraprocedural risk control.