Assessment of cardiovascular function following transcatheter aortic valve implantation based on six-minute walk test.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is presently a recognized treatment modality for patients with severe aortic stenosis ineligible for surgery. It reduces mortality as compared to the conservative treatment. It is further expected from this therapy to improve quality of life by improving of the cardiovascular function performance. The aim of this study is to compare patients' cardiovascular system efficiency in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) made before and after TAVI and at the 6-12-month follow-up. Methods: From January 2009 until February 2012, in the Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, TAVI was performed in 104 patients. Eighty-two patients who underwent 6MWT before surgery were qualified for the analysis. The average age of the patients was 76.0 +/- 9.17 years, women made 45.1%. The risk of surgical treatment according to the Logistic Euroscore averaged 22.76 +/- 12.63%, and by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons -5.55 +/- 3.34%. The 6MWT was performed within 1 month before the TAVI procedure, up to a month after the procedure and during the 6-12-month follow-up. Results: The 6-minute walk test after TAVI was performed by 64 patients, and after 6-12 month follow-up by 46 patients. The average distance in 6MWT increased from 268.4 +/- 89.0 m before treatment to 290.0 +/- 98.2 m after the procedure (p = 0.008) and 276.1 +/- 93.5 m to 343.1 +/- 96.7 m after 6-12 months (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures significantly improve function of the cardiovascular system evaluated by the 6MWT in 1- and 6-12-month observations.