Advances in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is becoming widely used for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in patients with high surgical risk. Data from The PARTNER Trial (Placement of AoRtic TraNscathetER Valves) and the Medtronic CoreValve® U.S. Pivotal Investigational Device Exemption trial indicate that survival for extreme-risk patients is superior to best medical therapy and equivalent or superior to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), although long-term durability remains unknown. Paravalvular leak remains higher in TAVR than SAVR, as does permanent pacemaker implantation in self-expanding valves. New-generation valves are addressing these issues, especially for paravalvular leak. There is strong evidence that TAVR is appropriate for both extreme-risk and high-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, and the continued development of new valves are making implantation more reliable. This review discusses the studies supporting the use of TAVR and explores current advances in the field.