Radiation dose of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A comparison between edwards SAPIEN XT and medtronic corevalve aortic valve prostheses

Background The relative radiation dose (RD) of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with either the Edwards Sapien XT (ESX) or the Medtronic CoreValve (MCV) prostheses has not been studied in depth. Our aim was to quantify RD in uncomplicated transfemoral TAVI with either prosthesis. Methods We analyzed 248 consecutive patients undergoing uncomplicated transfemoral TAVI between March 2009 and September 2012, at a single tertiary care facility. Total air Kerma, cumulated dose area product (DAP), and fluoroscopy time were determined in each case. Results The ESX and MCV prostheses were implanted in 44 and 204 patients, respectively. Though mean fluoroscopy time was higher during ESX valve implantation, overall RD per total air Kerma and DAP was significantly higher during MCV implantation (P < 0.05 for both comparisons). By multivariate regression analyses, prosthesis type was an independent predictor of RD according to both total air Kerma and DAP (r ² = 0. 498; P < 0.01 and r² = 0.363; P < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion In uncomplicated transfemoral TAVI, RD is greater during MCV implantation than during ESX implantation.