Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is one of the most important advances in cardiovascular medicine in recent years. TAVR devices, introduced recently in the US by Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic, are associated with very high risks, but offer a less invasive alternative to traditional aortic valve replacement surgery. Because of early concerns about potential overuse and misuse of TAVR, many observers have been eagerly awaiting information about its use in the real world.
Now a new report published in JAMA offers the best perspective yet on the introduction of TAVR in the US with an analysis of the one year outcomes of the first group of patients who underwent the procedure.
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Click here to read the full post, with comments from Sanjay Kaul and Ajay Kirtane.
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