Évolution de la prise en charge du rétrécissement aortique serré au centre hospitalier départemental de La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée (2005, 2015 et 2022).

Background

Severe calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in the elderly and carries a poor prognosis without intervention. The introduction of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in 2002 profoundly reshaped therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to evaluate changes in patient management and outcomes at the Departmental Hospital Center of La Roche‑sur‑Yon over three time periods: 2005 (pre‑TAVI era), 2015 (early TAVI integration), and 2022 (TAVI‑dominant era).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, single-center observational study including all patients hospitalized for symptomatic severe AS or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Clinical characteristics, operative risk scores, management strategies, and one-year outcomes were analyzed.

Results

Between 2005 and 2022, the number of patients managed for SAS increased by 158% (65 in 2005, 136 in 2015, 168 in 2022). Mean age (79 years in 2022) and male proportion (60%) remained stable. Therapeutic strategies shifted markedly (p < 0.001): surgery predominated in 2005 (67%), whereas TAVI became the most frequent treatment in 2022 (55%), followed by surgery (21%) and medical therapy (24%). Surgically treated patients were increasingly selected, with a median EuroSCORE II falling from 3,95 % (2005) to 1.1% (2022). One-year all-cause mortality in 2022 was 0% after surgery, 5.9% after TAVI (down from 28.8% in 2015, p = 0.008), and 68% with medical therapy (p < 0.001). Heart failure rehospitalizations were also more frequent in the medical group (33% vs 6% after TAVI and 2% after surgery; p = 0.016). The proportion of patients not presented at the heart team meeting declined significantly (17% in 2022 vs 35% before 2015; p < 0.001). The waiting times nevertheless remained significant (median of 70 days between admission and the MDT meeting, plus 41 days before the procedure).

Conclusions

Integration of TAVI has profoundly transformed AS management in our center, now the dominant strategy with significantly improved one-year prognosis. Medically treated patients still experience poor outcomes, underscoring the need to reduce delays and streamline the care pathway.