3.1. Descriptive statistics & bivariable analysis
Of the 30,195,722 total hospital admissions in 2016 during the United States,3%) underwent TAVR and 69,450 (0.23%) underwent SAVR, and 661,286 (2.19%) died among all hospitalized adults nationally in 2016. Among cancer patients (Table 1), TAVR patients compared to both MM and SAVR patients were more likely to be older and have non-private insurance, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and chronic kidney disease stage 3-5 (all p<0.001). TAVR versus MM and SAVR patients had the lowest mortality (respectively, 1.43% versus 3.99% versus 3.24%, all p<0.001) and median length of stay in days (respectively, 4.59 [standard deviation {SD} 4.56] versus 5.45 [6.34] versus 9.10 [7.09], all p<0.001).
Among TAVR subjects, 23.53% were done in cancer patients and 0.67% in those with metastatic cancer. In sub-group analysis among patients 65 years of age and older and elevated mortality risk (moderate, major, and extreme but not minor as calculated by the NIS according to DRGs), still significantly fewer TAVR procedures were done in cancer versus non-cancer patients (23.82% versus 76.18%, p<0.001). Yet mortality was comparable among cancer and non-cancer patients undergoing TAVR (1.43% versus 1.98%, p=0.118), including in the similar above sub-group of patients of comparable age and mortality risk (1.57% versus 1.96%, p=0.297). The leading primary malignancies in which TAVR was done included: prostate (23.06%), skin (16.71%), breast (15.34%), bladder (7.88%), colon (6.45%), with the leading malignancies among SAVR subjects being similar including prostate (26.69%), skin (21.77%), breast (13.32%), bladder (5.54%), and colon (5.15%).
Among TAVR performing hospitals, the mean number of procedures annually was 29.94 (SD 21.00) with the tertiles being 1-17, 18-36, and 37-112. In sub-group analysis among cancer patients, descriptive statistics and bivariable analysis by aortic stenosis treatment modality are provided in Table 1.
3.2. TAVR versus MM
TAVR versus MM patients were significantly older (80.28 years [SD 8.32] versus 57.46 [SD 20.34; p<0.001), and less likely to be female (45.78% versus 58.22%, p<0.001), non-white (13.53% versus 32.26%, p<0.001), and die inpatient (1.85% versus 2.19%, p=0.039), while being more likely to have a longer LOS (mean 5.16 days [SD 6.04] versus 4.72 [SD 6.33], p<0.001), higher cost (mean USD $216,458.70 [SD 136,223.5] versus $49,903.50 [81,963.57], p<0.001).
In fully adjusted analysis for all hospitalized adults, TAVR compared to MM significantly reduced mortality (OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.43-0.63; p<0.001) and non-home discharge (OR 0.84, 95%CI 0.84-0.85; p<0.001) overall, and non-significantly reduced mortality for cancer patients (OR 0.71, 95%CI 0.45-1.11; p=0.133) and more so for metastatic cancer patients (OR 0.29, 95%CI 0.04-2.20; p=0.233), while significantly reducing cancer patients’ LOS (beta days -0.72, 95%CI -1.04- -0.40; p<0.001) and cost (beta USD $-5,186, 95% CI -8,627.01- -1,745.08; p=0.003) (Table 2). In stratified analysis, there was no significant association with mortality between TAVR versus MM for cancer patients with active versus prior malignancy, solid versus non-solid malignancies, thrombocytopenia versus not, or radiation versus non-radiation.
Assessing primary malignancies separately, there was no significant association with mortality between TAVR versus MM for cancer patients with the top five above primary malignancies. TAVR versus MM did significantly reduce costs for those with skin cancer (beta $-11,175.68, 95%CI -18,134.07- -4,217.30; p=0.002) and breast (beta $-14,012.76, 95%CI -21,054.98- -6,970.53; p<0.001) while significantly raising it for those with bladder cancer (beta $11,974.51, 95% CI 1,545.01-22,404.01; p=0.024) (Figure 1).
3.3. TAVR versus SAVR
TAVR versus SAVR patients were significantly older (mean 80.28 years [SD 8.32] versus 66.40 [SD 12.62], p<0.001) and more likely to be female (45.78% versus 33.05%, p<0.001) and less likely to be non-white (13.53% versus 17.58%, p<0.001), die (1.85% versus 3.31%, p<0.001), and be discharged non-home (44.93% versus 64.84%, p<0.001). TAVR versus SAVR patients also had lower LOS (mean 5.16 [SD 6.04] versus 10.19 [SD 9.51], p<0.001) and cost (mean USD $216,458.70 [SD 136,223.5] versus $242,302.10 [SD 232,242.80], p<0.001).
TAVR versus SAVR for cancer patients non-significantly decreased mortality (OR 0.76, 95%CI 0.43-1.32; p=0.326) and non-home discharge (OR 0.89, 95%CI 0.76-1.05; p=0.172), but increased LOS (beta 0.35, 95%CI -0.20-0.89, p=0.214) and costs (beta USD $10,725.28, -575.25-22,025.82; p=0.063). There was no significant association with mortality, LOS, nor cost between TAVR versus SAVR for cancer patients with the top five above primary malignancies. In stratified analysis, there was no significant association with mortality between TAVR versus SAVR for cancer patients with active versus prior malignancy, solid versus non-solid malignancies, thrombocytopenia versus not, or radiation versus non-radiation.
3.4. TAVR procedural volume
TAVR procedural volume did not significantly impact mortality or LOS, but compared to the lowest tertile, the second tertile significantly decreased costs (beta $-10,498.49, 95%CI -16,575.01- -4,421.97; p=0.001) while the third tertile significantly increased costs (beta $11,742.95, 95%CI 5,455.22-18,030.68; p<0.001).
Among all TAVR subjects, there were no significant race or geographic disparities for mortality; there were significantly different LOS by geographic region relative to New England: West North Central (beta -1.26, -1.95- -0.57; p<0.001), Mountain (beta -1.07, 95%CI -1.79- -0.35; p=0.004), and Pacific (beta -0.72, 95%CI -1.31- -0.14; p=0.016). All regions had significantly increased costs relative to New England with the most expensive regions being the Pacific (beta $120,651.20, 95%CI 108,823.80-132,478.50; p<0.001), Mountain (beta $91,538.29, 95%CI 77,089.44-105,987.10; p<0.001), and Mid-Atlantic (beta $86,865.73, 95%CI 75,686.65-98,044.80; p<0.001). Among TAVR subjects who also have cancer, there were no significant race or geographic disparities for mortality; all geographic regions had significantly lower LOS relative to New England with the lowest LOS being for Mountain (beta -2.19, 95%CI -3.38- -1.01; p<0.001), West North Central (beta -2.01, 95%CI -3.14- -0.89; p<0.001), and West South Central (beta -2.00, 95%CI -3.05- -0.94; p<0.001). Yet all regions had significantly greater costs relative to New England with the greatest being: Pacific (beta $120,414.30, 95%CI 99,695.70-141.132.80; p<0.001), Mid Atlantic (beta $94,020.50, 95%CI 74,543.15-113,497.80; p<0.001), and Mountain (beta $80,620.67, 95%CI 51,101.14-107,140.20; p<0.001).