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Paravalvular Leak (PVL) Severity Score Calculator

  • Post-deployment Aortic Systolic BP (SBP) mmHg
  • Post-deployment Aortic Diastolic BP (DBP) mmHg
  • Post-deployment LV End-Diastolic Pressure (LVEDP) mmHg
  • Heart Rate (optional, for HR-adjusted indices) bpm
  • Pre-deployment Aortic Systolic BP (SBP) (optional) mmHg
  • Pre-deployment Aortic Diastolic BP (DBP) (optional) mmHg
  • Pre-deployment LV End-Diastolic Pressure (LVEDP) (optional) mmHg
  • Diastolic Pressure–Time Integral (DPTI) (optional) mmHg·s (area Ao–LV during diastole)
  • LV Systolic Pressure–Time Integral (SPTI) (optional) mmHg·s
  • Paravalvular Leak (PVL) Severity Score: Rationale, Calculations, and Clinical Use
     This tool consolidates validated catheter-based hemodynamic indices to grade PVL severity immediately after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The core metric is the Aortic Regurgitation Index (ARI), defined as ((DBP − LVEDP) / SBP) × 100. Lower values imply greater diastolic run-off into the LV and more severe PVL. In the seminal work, ARI independently predicted 1-year mortality and complemented echo/angiography; ARI < 25 flagged higher risk.
    Complementary indices refine risk stratification: the Diastolic Delta (DD) (DBP − LVEDP) with a pragmatic threshold of ≤ 18 mmHg; the heart-rate adjusted DD (HR-DD) calculated as (DD/HR) × 80 with a threshold < 25; and the ARI ratio (post-/pre-deployment ARI), where < 0.60 portends adverse outcomes and predicts the need for post-dilation. When available, the Time-Integrated AR Index (TIARI)—(Diastolic pressure–time integral ÷ LV systolic pressure–time integral) × 100—captures the area between aortic and LV diastolic curves and has shown incremental prognostic and intraprocedural guidance value; < 80 aligns with ≥mild AR on invasive validation.
    The calculator reports each index and a conservative composite hemodynamic class (None–Mild, Moderate, Severe) to aid intraprocedural decisions. Final management should integrate prosthesis type and depth, annular eccentricity/calcification, jet location and multiplicity, and multimodality imaging (TEE, quantitative angiography/videodensitometry). Hemodynamic thresholds were derived in mixed-generation valve cohorts; contemporary devices may shift prevalence but the cut-offs remain useful for real-time physiology-guided optimization.

    Reference:
    Sinning JM, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012;59:1134–1141. ARI = ((DBP − LVEDP)/SBP) × 100; ARI < 25 associated with higher 1-year mortality.
    Vasa-Nicotera M, et al. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2012;5:858–867. Independent validation of ARI performance.
    van Wely M, et al. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2021;33:923–930. ARI ratio < 0.60 as strongest predictor of 1-year mortality with self-expanding devices.
    Uebelacker R, et al. J Clin Med. 2023;12:7735. ARI ratio operationalization; peri-procedural prediction of post-dilation; median thresholds; example calculations.
    Kumar A, et al. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8:e012430. TIARI improves guidance for post-dilation and predicts survival.
    ASE/Valve Academic guidance summaries (2019–2024): DD ≤ 18 mmHg; HR-DD < 25; ARI < 25; ARI ratio < 0.60; TIARI < 80 aligns with ≥mild AR.