J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026 Jun 16;87(23):3309-3321. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2026.03.169.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, but long-term, comparative clinical outcomes and echocardiography data are lacking.
OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to compare 10-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes after balloon-expandable TAVR or surgery in intermediate-risk surgical patients in the PARTNER 2A randomized trial.
METHODS: Between 2011 and 2013, patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis at intermediate surgical risk were randomized at 57 centers to TAVR with the balloon-expandable SAPIEN XT system (Edwards Lifesciences) or to surgery. Randomization was stratified by anatomical suitability for transfemoral (TF) or transthoracic (transapical/transaortic [TA/TAo]) access. Ten-year outcomes were evaluated in the valve implant population and included all-cause mortality, aortic valve reintervention, and core laboratory-adjudicated echocardiographic outcomes. To obtain 10-year data, patient reconsent at 5 years was required, and vital status sweeps were implemented to improve data completeness for all-cause mortality.
RESULTS: Among 1,910 randomized patients who received a valve, 974 underwent TAVR (TF: 749/974 [76.9%]) and 936 had surgery. Mean patient age was 81.6 years, 45.4% were women, and the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was 5.8%. At 10 years, vital status was available for 881 of 974 patients (90.5%) and 838 of 936 patients (89.5%). All-cause 10-year mortality with vital status sweeps was 86.1% after TAVR and 82.8% after surgery (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02-1.25; P = 0.02). When stratified by access route, rates of all-cause mortality for TAVR and surgery in the TF group were similar (83.9% vs 82.1%, respectively; P = 0.27), whereas mortality was higher for TAVR in the TA/TAo group (93.2% vs 85.1%; P < 0.01; P for interaction = 0.03). Cumulative incidence rates of aortic valve reintervention at 10 years were 6.3% for TAVR and 1.6% for surgery (P < 0.001). Of the 24 TAVR and 35 surgical patients with available echocardiographic data at 10 years, mean gradients were 12.6 mm Hg and 12.7 mm Hg, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: At the 10-year follow-up, TAVR in intermediate-risk patients with the SAPIEN XT prosthesis compared with surgery was associated with lower survival rates, with differences predominantly observed in the TA/TAo access cohort. TAVR with the XT valve was also associated with significantly higher rates of aortic valve reintervention. (PARTNER II Trial: Placement of AoRTic TraNscathetER Valves II — XT Intermediate and High Risk [PII A]; NCT01314313).
PMID:42300821 | DOI:10.1016/j.jacc.2026.03.169
