Aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis during mitral surgery improves survival free from severe stenosis

Abstract

Background Optimal management of moderate aortic stenosis during surgery for another indication is unclear. We assessed the effects of surgical aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis during mitral surgery. Methods An institutional mitral surgery database was queried for patients with preoperative moderate aortic stenosis. Patients were stratified by whether they underwent concomitant surgical aortic valve replacement. Morbidity was analyzed using Student's t tests, Wilcoxon rank sum, chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier estimation and Cox regression. Results Of 85 mitral surgery recipients with moderate aortic stenosis from 2012 to 2019, 62 (73%) underwent concomitant surgical aortic valve replacement. Surgical aortic valve replacement recipients were more likely to have bicuspid (11% vs. 0%, p  =  0.019) or rheumatic (18% vs. 0%, p  =  0.019) aortic valves, and to undergo mitral repair (32% vs. 9%, p  =  0.028). Groups did not differ with respect to mitral etiology, New York Heart Association class, or cardiac intervention history ( p > 0.05). Postoperatively, groups had similar stroke and gastrointestinal bleed rates (3% vs. 0% and 2% vs. 0% in the surgical aortic valve replacement vs. no surgical aortic valve replacement group respectively, both p > 0.99). Five-year survival free from severe aortic stenosis was higher in the surgical aortic valve replacement group (66% vs. 17%, p  =  0.002). Surgical aortic valve replacement protected against the composite of death and progression to severe aortic stenosis at 5 years (hazard ratio: 0.32, p  =  0.003). Conclusions Surgical aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis at time of mitral surgery is a well-tolerated strategy to reduce aortic disease progression.