Abstract

Background
Conduction system disturbances resulting in permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) are common complications after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). In some patients, there is delayed recovery of the conduction system post-procedure. This study aims to report the incidence and predictors of ventricular pacing (VP) rate≦1% at 1 year after TAVI.

Methods
This is a post-hoc sub-study of the LANDMARK multicentre trial, which randomized 768 patients in a 2:1:1 ratio to the Myval (n = 384) transcatheter heart valve (THV) series or contemporary THVs (Sapien [n = 192] and Evolut [n = 192] series) for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. Overall, 122 (15.9%) patients underwent PPI within 30 days after TAVI, and 1-year pacemaker follow-up data were retrospectively collected in 99 patients. Pacemaker recovery (PMR) was defined as a VP rate ≦1% at follow-up.

Results
PMR occurred in 18% (18/99) of patients. The PMR group was younger than the non-PMR group (78.6 ± 3.0 vs 81.1 ± 5.1 years, p = 0.045). Implantation depth under the non-coronary cusp did not differ between groups (5.7 ± 3.5 vs 5.8 ± 2.8 mm, p = 0.94). There were no significant differences in PMR rates based on THV type: Myval 25% (11/44), Sapien 19% (5/27), and Evolut 7% (2/28) (p = 0.16). In multivariable logistic regression, atrial fibrillation was associated with lower odds of PMR (odds ratio 0.09, 95% confidence interval 0.00–0.77, p = 0.02.

Conclusions
At 1 year, conduction system recovery (VP≦1%) was observed in 18% of patients who underwent PPI after TAVI, with no significant difference among the Myval, Sapien and Evolut series. Atrial fibrillation was associated with lower odds of recovery.