Incidence and Outcomes of Pericardial Effusion and Cardiac Tamponade Following Permanent Pacemaker Implantation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation is required in 5% to 10% of patients following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, there are limited data on the impact of PPM implantation on the incidence of pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, and outcomes after TAVI. We identified all hospitalizations in patients ≥18 years of age who underwent TAVI in the years 2016 to 2017 in the Nationwide Readmission Database. The endpoints of the study were pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, and percutaneous or surgical drainage of the pericardial cavity in patients that required PPM implantation after TAVI. Multivariable logistic regression determined associations of PPM implantation, pericardial effusion, and tamponade with patient outcomes. A total of 54,317 unweighted hospitalizations for TAVI were identified, of which 5,639 (10.4%) required PPM. The risk of pericardial effusion was significantly greater in patients who required PPM (2.4% vs 1.6%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.39 (1.15 to 1.70), p <0.001)), and risk of cardiac tamponade nearly doubled (1.6% vs 0.8%, p <0.001; aOR: 1.90 (1.48 to 2.40), p <0.001). Female gender was independently associated with increased risk of pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade whereas history of previous  CABG was associated with decreased risk of both. Pericardial complications following PPM implantation were associated with increased in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, and risk of 30-day readmission following TAVI (p <0.01 for all comparisons). In conclusion, although common, PPM implantation post-TAVI carries increased risks of pericardial effusion and associated cardiac tamponade. Patients developing these pericardial complications are at particularly high-risk for in-hospital mortality, greater LOS, and 30-day readmission.