A recent study found patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement have higher risk of stroke for up to two years after the procedure.
The study, published in the December issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, analyzed data from almost 12,000 patients who underwent TAVR between February 2011 and June 2021. Of the patients studied, 32.3% had a history of atrial fibrillation and 11.8% had a history of cerebrovascular accident.
Researchers found the 30-day incidence rate of stroke was 3%, with the majority of stroke events happening in the first 48 hours after surgery. The incidence of stroke was 4.3% at one year and 7.8% at five years. Compared with the age- and sex-adjusted general population, the risk of stroke was significantly higher for men and women for two years after the procedure.
However, the risk of stroke reduces after two years to a comparable rate to the general population.