Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the swallowing dysfunction and the prevalence of postoperative nosocomial pneumonia in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
Methods and Results: Food Intake LEVEL Scales (FILS) were assessed in 64 patients (84.2 +/- 4.0 years) undergoing TAVI beforehand and at discharge. FLIS scores before TAVI were 9.0 +/- 0.46 (max 10, min 7) and 8.9 +/- 0.55 (max 10, min 7) at discharge, not significantly different. Only 1 patient (1.5%) developed early postoperative pneumonia.
Conclusions: Swallowing dysfunction and postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients undergoing TAVI are rare.