Small Study Explores Expanded Use For TAVI In Native Valve Aortic Regurgitation

As transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) gains increasing acceptance, cardiologists and surgeons are exploring additional patient populations who may benefit from the procedure. A new paper in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides the first look at the use of TAVI in the small but important group of patients with pure, severe native aortic…

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FDA Approves The Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve For High Risk Patients

The FDA today approved an expanded indication for Edwards Lifesciences’ Sapien transcatheter heart valve (THV). The device can now be implanted in patients who are eligible for aortic valve replacement surgery but at high risk for serious surgical complications or death. Previously the Sapien valve was approved only for use in patients who were not…

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Four Cardiovascular Societies Release Criteria for TAVR Programs and Operators

A newly released statement contains detailed recommendations about the requirements necessary for hospitals and physicians to participate in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)  programs. The expert consensus document was released jointly by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and the Society for…

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Slow Uptake of Transcatheter Aortic Valves: Learning from History?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been one of the most exciting new developments in cardiovascular medicine in recent years. The growing enthusiasm over TAVR led to concern and even alarm in some quarters that the introduction of TAVR would ignite a stampede of uptake, mirroring the early over-enthusiasm for similarly disruptive devices like stents…

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