Abstract

Beyond the valve: Lessons learned and future directions for trans-catheter aortic valve replacement in resourceconstrained settings

Author(s): Muddassir Syed Saleem*, Hafsa Kaleem, Nidal Bin Kamran

In light of growing cases of aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation secondary to degenerative calcific aortic valve disease from increasing population aging, the burden of valvular heart disease is only increasing. Third-world countries still need to catch up to modern practices and continue to perform surgical aortic valve replacement in highrisk patients. Current guidelines backed by significant research recommend TransCatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in high-risk patients. However, resourceconstrained countries struggle to keep up with the cost and training requirements. This mini-review sheds light on the barriers to TAVR in third-world countries and provides future recommendations to optimize its integration into standard care.