Comparison between transcatheter versus surgical intervention for pediatric aortic valvular stenosis: a multicenter study in Japan.

It is controversial whether children with isolated aortic valvular stenosis (vAS) initially undergo transcatheter or surgical aortic valvuloplasty (BAV or SAV). This multicenter retrospective case-control study aimed to explore outcomes after BAV or SAV for pediatric vAS. We studied children (aged < 15 years) with vAS treated at 4 tertiary congenital heart centers, and compared the rates of survival, reintervention, and valve replacement between patients with BAV and SAV. A total of 73 subjects (BAV: N = 52, SAV: N = 21) were studied. Age and aortic annulus z-score at the first presentation were 85 (26-530) days and - 0.45 (- 1.51-0.59), respectively. During the follow-up period of 121 (47-185) months, rates of 10-year survival (BAV: 88% vs. SAV: 92%, P = 0.477), reintervention (BAV: 58% vs. SAV: 31%, P = 0.626), and prosthetic/autograft valve replacement (BAV: 21% vs. SAV: 19%, P = 0.563) did not differ between the groups. Freedom from reintervention rate significantly correlated with aortic annulus z-score (hazard ratio [HR] 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-0.88, P = 0.005), and freedom from prosthetic/autograft valve replacement rate significantly correlated to the degree of aortic regurgitation after the first intervention (HR: 4.58, 95% CI 1.19-17.71, P = 0.027). Propensity score-matched analysis (N = 16) did not show the differences in survival and reintervention rates between the groups. Long-term survival was acceptable, and the rates of freedom from reintervention and prosthetic/autograft valve replacement were comparable between children with vAS who underwent BAV and SAV.