Non-Invasive Monitoring of Cerebral Perfusion During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Procedure

We read the report by Nuis et al on the frequency and cause of stroke during and after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The investigators reported a 9% stroke incidence (19 of 214 patients), with early (24 hours, mean 3.5 days after TAVI) stroke in 11 patients. They used brain computed tomographic findings to further analyze the cause of stroke. Interestingly, they found that 26% of strokes (5 patients) revealed lacunar lesions, which is widely regarded as caused by cerebral hypoperfusion in the presence of local atherosclerosis. Therefore, the investigators implied that all efforts should be made during TAVI to maintain adequate brain perfusion.

http://www.ajconline.org/article/PIIS0002914912020802/abstract?rss=yes

Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - January 4, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Cathy De Deyne, Ingrid Meex, Frank Jans, Kim Engelen, Herbert Gutermann, Jo Dens Tags: Readers' Comments Source Type: research