Recent Developments and Current Status of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Practice in Latin America - the WRITTEN LATAM Study

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a worldwide adopted procedure with rapidly evolving practices. Regional and temporal variations are expected to be found.

OBJECTIVE: To compare TAVR practice in Latin America with that around the world and to assess its changes in Latin America from 2015 to 2020.

METHODS: A survey was applied to global TAVR centers between March and September 2015, and again to Latin-American centers between July 2019 and January 2020. The survey consisted of questions addressing: i) center's general information; ii) pre-TAVR evaluation; iii) procedural techniques; iv) post-TAVR management; v) follow-up. Answers from the 2015 survey of Latin-American centers (LATAM15) were compared with those of other centers around the world (WORLD15) and with the 2020 updated Latin-American survey (LATAM20). A 5% level of significance was adopted for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: 250 centers participated in the 2015 survey (LATAM15=29; WORLD15=221) and 46 in the LATAM20. Combined centers experience accounted for 73 707 procedures, with WORLD15 centers performing, on average, 6- and 3-times more procedures than LATAM15 and LATAM20 centers, respectively. LATAM centers performed less minimalistic TAVR than WORLD15 centers, but there was a significant increase in less invasive procedures after 5 years in Latin-American centers. For postprocedural care, a lower period of telemetry and maintenance of temporary pacing wire, along with less utilization of dual antiplatelet therapy was observed in LATAM20 centers.

CONCLUSION: Despite still having a much lower number of procedures, many aspects of TAVR practice in Latin-American centers have evolved in recent years, followingthe trend observed in developed country centers.