The ambitious SOLVE-TAVI (soon to be published in JACC) is aimed at answering to of the most important questions we make when facing a TAVR procedure: What valve do we choose, a self-expanding or a balloon expandable? And once we have chosen our device, do we proceed with general anesthesia or conscious sedation? The…
TAVR: Balloon-Expandable or Self-Expanding Valves, Which Is the Answer?
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has shown benefit and is currently moving towards low-risk patients, as well as bicuspid aortic valves and (to a lower extent) aortic regurgitation. However, we must ponder on which valve should be used on each patient: balloon-expandable (BE) or self-expanding (SE) valve? They represent different technologies…
TAVR and Pacemakers, New Strategies
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. TAVR has been shown beneficial and is constantly being advanced onto lower risk populations, but at present, it is limited (perhaps most importantly in aortic tricuspid valves) by the need for permanent pacemaker implantation (PPMI), especially when it comes to self-expandable valves, as the latest study on low risk populations…
Modern Valves Reduce the Need for a Pacemaker
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has already demonstrated benefit for different risk groups, but one of the remaining challenges is the reduction of the need for a pacemaker, which is still high for self-expanding valves compared with expandable balloons. The study enrolled 203 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR with…