Survival, Functional Capacity and Quality of Life after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Present Considerations and Future Perspectives

Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease, with an increasing prevalence due to age-related degenerative modifications of the valve. Once AS becomes symptomatic, the survival of patients is significantly reduced with an annual mortality rate of 25%. Depending on surgical risk, anatomical and technical aspects, and the patient’s option, correction can be made either by surgical valve replacement (SAVR) or by transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Although aortic valve implantation brings relief of symptoms, there is little data on the quality of life (QoL) of patients undergoing TAVI and the factors that directly influence it. Even if age and comorbidities are known modifiers of survival, there is no specific tool to assess the impact of AS and to determine the appropriate treatment strategy.