Methods and Results
This study was supported and endorsed by the Asia Pacific Society of
Interventional Cardiology. Due to the pandemic and an inability to meet
face to face, an online survey was sent out to 15 Asian TAVI key opinion
leaders in Asia via email correspondence. These included cardiac
surgeon, interventional cardiologist, echocardiologist. Table 1 shows
the survey questions and the results of the survey. Response rate
was 100% except for questions 13 and 14 where response was 92% (See
table 1). The results were tabulated and further discussion followed
online to produce the subsequent expert consensus recommendations.
Summary of key findings:
The online survey had shown a significant reduction in TAVI volumes
during the pandemic by 25% ( 10-80). There was also a need for
physicians to triage patients based on disease severity ( seen in 53%
all Asian centres). The 2 most important criteria deemed to influence
triage were the presence of symptoms as well as the anatomical severity
of the valve. Pre, peri procedure and post procedural changes were also
described. The use of teleconsultation, pre-procedural testing for
COVID-19 as well as a tendency to reduce or minimize pre TAVI tests were
adopted by some of the centres. Similarly, changes in the site of where
TAVI is performed as well as modifications done in the catheterization
laboratory were described. There were also reductions in the length of
stay ( 4.4 to 4 days) of patients following the TAVI procedure during
the pandemic.