Abstract

Nontransfemoral access alternatives for transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Author(s): B Ramlawi & MJ Reardon

Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) carries a high mortality rate if not treated. This has led to the inclusion of a class I recommendation for surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for patients with symptomatic severe AS. For over 60 years, AVR has served as the treatment of choice for AS and has saved countless lives. Unfortunately, there exists a population of patients whose age or co-morbidities makes them either an extreme risk or a high risk for open AVR. This represents between 30 and 60% of the patients with symptomatic severe AS, who are as a result denied surgical intervention.