Relation of Subacute Kidney Injury to Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been associated with adverse outcomes; however, data are limited on the subacute changes in renal function that occur after discharge and their impact on clinical outcomes. This study investigates the relation between subacute changes in kidney function at 30 days after TAVI and survival. Patients from 2 centers who underwent TAVI and survived beyond 30 days with baseline, in-hospital, and 30-day measures of renal function were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified based on change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline to 30 days as follows: improved (≥15% higher than baseline), worsened (≤15% lower), or unchanged (values in between). Univariable and multivariable models were constructed to identify predictors of subacute changes in renal function and of 2-year mortality. Of the 492 patients who met inclusion criteria, eGFR worsened in 102 (22%), improved in 110 (22%), and was unchanged in 280 (56%). AKI occurred in 90 patients (18%) and in only 27% of patients with worsened eGFR at 30 days. After statistical adjustment, worsened eGFR at 30 days (hazard ratio vs unchanged eGFR 2.09, 95% CI 1.37 to 3.19, p <0.001) was associated with worse survival, whereas improvement in renal function was not associated with survival (hazard ratio vs unchanged eGFR 1.30, 95% CI 0.79 to 2.11, p = 0.30). Worsened renal function at 30 days after TAVI is associated with increased mortality after TAVI. In conclusion, monitoring renal function after discharge may identify patients at high risk of adverse outcomes.