March 7, 2016 — Women undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have better survival rates than men at one year, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. These results are the opposite of those seen in surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), for which female sex has been shown to be associated with poorer outcomes.
TAVR has emerged as an alternative for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis who have been deemed high-risk or inoperable for SAVR due to comorbidities or unfavorable anatomy. Female sex has been shown to be associated with increased risk for adverse events after SAVR, but data examining outcomes after TAVR have been conflicting.
Researchers performed a secondary analysis of the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) Trial to compare post-procedural complications and one-year all-cause mortality among men and women who had TAVR. They found that women undergoing TAVR had a lower mortality rate at one year compared to men and also had a lower rate of rehospitalization. However, the women had a higher 30-day incidence of vascular complications and major bleeding.
For more information: www.annals.org
April 17, 2024 
