Background:

Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is the reference treatment in patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve disease. However, according to international scores, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently an alternative in different risk patients, and some guidelines consider TAVI as a preferable procedure in elderly patients.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess SAVR morbidity and mortality risk and results in adult patients, classified according to age as >75 years or ≤75 years.

Methods:

A retrospective study was performed on 228 consecutive patients undergoing SAVR between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2020 for symptomatic severe aortic valve disease. Among the total number of patients operated on, 46 (16%) were >75 years (Group 1, G1) and 182 (84%) were ≤75 years (Group 2, G2). Patients with concomitant coronary heart disease, bacterial endocarditis or other associated valve diseases were excluded from the analysis.

Results:

Group 1 patients had greater risk of surgical morbidity and mortality analyzed by validated risk scores: ArgenSCORE 1.55 (IQR 0.99-3.33) vs 1.08 (IQR 0.68-2.23), p = 0.02 and STS score 2.33 (IQR 1.57-3.23) vs. 0.94 (IQR 0.72-1.44), p = 0.0001, with respect to G2, while no significant differences were found for EuroSCORE II: 2.37 (IQR 1.19-3.61) vs. 1.83 (IQR 1.163.04), p = 0.2. Overall mortality was 1.7% (G1: 2.1% vs. G2: 1.6%, p=NS), with no perioperative stroke or acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Conclusions:

The low number of deaths, stroke and AMI observed suggests that the selected treatment for these patients was adequate, with excellent results and without significant differences between these two age groups.