Differences in left ventricular remodelling in patients with aortic stenosis treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement with corevalve prostheses compared to surgery with porcine or bovine biological prostheses.

The authors report on an echocardiographic sub-study of the NOTION trial, a prospective randomized study which compared outcomes between 120 patients undergoing TAVI and 112 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR).  Although at 12 months of follow up, aortic valve area had increased significantly more in patients undergoing TAVI, left ventricular mass regression was more pronounced in those patients undergoing AVR. Also, whereas end diastolic volume (EDV) decreased in the AVR group, EDV increased in the TAVI group. Patients undergoing TAVI had more paravalvular leaks and need for pacemaker implantation. This could explain the differences in left ventricular mass and EDV in favour of AVR.