Modes of failure of Trifecta aortic valve prosthesis.

Objectives: Several concerns have been recently raised regarding the durability of Trifecta prostheses. Different mechanisms of early failure were reported. Our aim was to study in a large population the modes of failure of Trifecta valves.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement with a Trifecta prosthesis during the period 2010-2018. Details regarding the mode of failure and haemodynamic dysfunction were collected for patients who underwent reintervention for structural valve failure. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival. Competing risk analysis was performed to calculate the cumulative risk of reintervention for structural valve failure.

Results: The overall population comprises 1228 patients (1084 TF model and 144 TFGT model). Forty-four patients-mean patients' age at the time of the first implant 69 (standard deviation: 12) years and 61% female-underwent reintervention for structural valve failure after a median time of 63 [44-74] months. The cumulative incidence of reintervention for structural valve failure was 0.16% (SE 0.11%), 1.77% (SE 0.38%) and 5.11% (SE 0.98%) at 1, 5 and 9 years, respectively. In 24/44 patients (55%), a leaflet tear with dehiscence at the commissure level was found intraoperatively or described by imaging assessment. The cumulative incidence of reintervention for failure due to leaflet(s) tear was 0.16% (SE 0.11%), 1.08% (SE 0.29%) and 3.03% (SE 0.88%) at 1, 5 and 9 years, respectively.

Conclusions: Leaflet(s) tear with dehiscence along the stent post was the main mode of early failure, up to 5 years, after Trifecta valves' implantation.