Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Public and Private Hospital Settings: A Propensity-Matched Analysis

• Published in: Heart, lung & circulation Vol. 30; no. 12; pp. 1910 - 1917
• Main Authors: Vriesendorp, Pieter A., Nanayakkara, Shane, Bowditch, Joshua, Htun, Nay M., Stub, Dion, Dagan, Misha, Stehli, Julia, Dick, Ronald, Duffy, Stephen J., Walton, Antony S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Aortic stenosis; Public versus private health; Transcatheter aortic valve replacement; Aortic stenosis; Public versus private health; Transcatheter aortic valve replacement
• ISSN: 1443-9506; 1444-2892
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2021.05.083

To compare short- and long-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the public and private hospital setting. Propensity-matched, retrospective analysis of a prospective registry. Patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI at a tertiary public hospital (n=507) and an experienced private hospital (n=436). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Patients that underwent TAVI in the public hospital were younger than patients in the private hospital (82±8 years vs 84±6 years, p<0.001), with lower estimated short-term mortality risk (Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality [STS-PROM] score >4.0%: 43% vs 56%, p<0.001). There was no difference between public and private hospitals in 30-day mortality (1.5% vs 1.2%, p=1.0), and the rate of complications was similar. Long-term survival was similar in propensity-matched public (n=344) and private (n=344) patient cohorts. The 1-year, 2-year, 5-year and 7-year survival rates were 95%, 90%, 67% and 47% in public patients, and 92%, 86%, 67% and 51% in private patients (p=0.94). In multivariable analysis, the hospital setting was not a predictor of mortality. Despite increased age and predicted mortality in private hospital patients, short- and long-term outcomes after TAVI were comparable between public and private hospital settings. This study demonstrates the feasibility of performing TAVI in a private hospital with a dedicated and experienced team and questions the current restricted access to TAVI in the private sector.