Baseline and procedural characteristics of the study population (n=135), according to the use of thoracic epidural analgesia
| Study population | Thoracic epidural analgesia | p Value | ||
| No | Yes | |||
| n=135 | n=61 | n=74 | ||
| Baseline variables | ||||
| Age, years | 79±8 | 80±9 | 78±8 | 0.072 |
| Males | 54 (40.0) | 26 (42.6) | 29 (39.2) | 0.600 |
| Diabetes | 51 (37.8) | 19 (31.2) | 32 (43.2) | 0.159 |
| Dyslipidemia | 113 (83.7) | 48 (78.7) | 65 (87.8) | 0.168 |
| Hypertension | 126 (93.3) | 58 (95.1) | 68 (91.9) | 0.512 |
| Coronary artery disease | 89 (65.9) | 38 (62.3) | 51 (68.9) | 0.468 |
| Previous myocardial infarction | 57 (42.2) | 26 (42.6) | 31 (41.9) | 1.00 |
| Previous atrial fibrillation | 35 (25.9) | 15 (24.6) | 20 (27.0) | 0.844 |
| Prior CABG | 55 (40.7) | 23 (37.7) | 32 (43.2) | 0.598 |
| Prior stroke | 6 (4.4) | 2 (3.3) | 4 (5.4) | 0.689 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 60 (44.4) | 27 (44.3) | 33 (44.6) | 1.00 |
| COPD | 44 (32.6) | 25 (40.9) | 19 (25.7) | 0.067 |
| FEV1 (%)* | 60±17 | 58±17 | 65±17 | 0.336 |
| eGFR <60 ml/min | 88 (65.2) | 38 (62.3) | 50 (67.6) | 0.588 |
| STS-PROM score (%) | 8.4±4.4 | 9.2±5.2 | 7.7±3.4 | 0.121 |
| Frailty | 19 (14.1) | 9 (14.8) | 10 (13.5) | 1.00 |
| Severely calcified or porcelain aorta | 42 (31.1) | 17 (27.9) | 25 (33.8) | 0.576 |
| Echocardiographic variables | ||||
| Mean aortic gradient (mm Hg) | 41±16 | 42±16 | 40±17 | 0.463 |
| Aortic valve area (cm2) | 0.63±0.19 | 0.62±0.15 | 0.64±0.22 | 0.650 |
| LVEF (%) | 53±14 | 56±13 | 51±14 | 0.047 |
| LVEF<40 | 23 (17.0) | 7 (11.5) | 16 (21.6) | 0.167 |
| SPAP (mm Hg) | 44±14 | 45±13 | 43±14 | 0.342 |
| Moderate/severe mitral regurgitation | 41 (30.4) | 21 (34.4) | 20 (27.0) | 0.452 |
| Procedural variables | ||||
| Type of valve | ||||
| Edward XT | 8 (5.9) | 3 (4.9) | 5 (6.7) | 0.729 |
| Edward SAPIEN | 128 (94.1) | 58 (95.1) | 70 (93.2) | |
| Valve size | ||||
| 23 mm | 76 (56.3) | 34 (55.7) | 42 (56.8) | 0.820 |
| 26 mm | 54 (40.0) | 24 (39.3) | 30 (40.5) | |
| 29 mm | 5 (3.7) | 3 (4.9) | 2 (2.7) | |
| Procedural success | 129 (95) | 57 (93.4) | 73 (97.7) | 0.175 |
| Valve embolisation | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.4) | 1.00 |
| Valve in valve | 5 (3.7) | 4 (6.6) | 1 (1.4) | 0.175 |
| Conversion to open heart surgery | 1 (0.7) | 1 (1.6) | 0 | 0.452 |
| Invasive haemodynamic parametres | ||||
| Cardiac output preimplant (l/min) | 3.41±1.31 | 3.44±1.48 | 3.39±1.60 | 0.860 |
| Cardiac output postimplant (l/min) | 4.19±1.60 | 4.13±1.78 | 4.25±1.45 | 0.702 |
| SPAP preimplant (mm Hg) | 35±11 | 34±11 | 35±10 | 0.483 |
| SPAP postimplant (mm Hg) | 40±12 | 41±12 | 39±12 | 0.228 |
| SVR preimplant (dyne·s/cm5) | 2035±808 | 2039±763 | 2031±849 | 0.955 |
| SVR postimplant (dyne·s/cm5) | 1694±769 | 1728±709 | 1665±820 | 0.677 |
| PVR preimplant (dyne·s/cm5) | 223±132 | 237±143 | 211±121 | 0.276 |
| PVR postimplant (dyne·s/cm5) | 234±142 | 261±171 | 211±109 | 0.084 |
Values are mean±SD, n (%).
↵* Only available in patients with history of COPD.
CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; eGFR, estimated glomerularfiltration rate; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance; SPAP, systolic pulmonary artery pressure; STS-PROM, Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality; SVR, Systemic vascular resistance.