John Forrest (New Haven, USA) sits down with Cardiovascular News to talk about the full two-year results from the Evolut Low Risk trial which he presented at EuroPCR 2021 (18–20 May, virtual) and which Forrest says highlighted that transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has “very favourable outcomes” when compared to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in this low risk group of patients.
The two-year data found that the primary outcome of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke occurred in 4.3% of the patients who had a TAVI compared with 6.3% who underwent a SAVR–which meant it did not meet statistical significance for superiority but “there is a slight difference numerically and it’s clearly non-inferior”.
Forrest also touches on the effect of COVID-19 on cardiovascular clinical practice and how the pandemic has meant physicians have looked to “become more efficient”. However, it is important that “we do not sacrifice long-term outcomes for short-term efficiency”, he warns.
TAVI with the Evolut system out to two years is doing “exceptionally well” when compared to SAVR, says Forrest, however it is “critical” to understand the long-term implications of TAVI which is why the Evolut Low Risk trial will follow patients out to 10 years.
