TAVR Highlights: Treating patients with nickel allergies | Medtronic receives updated FDA approval | No sedation required?

More research is still needed, as this study only included data from a small number of patients, but TAVR was not linked to any severe adverse events or allergic reactions.

The company also launched a new clinical trial designed to follow redo TAVR patients who present with symptomatic bioprosthetic valve failure for up to five years.

New data out of ESC Congress 2025 suggest care teams can take a more minimalist approach during a majority of TAVR cases and only treat patients with local anesthesia. In some cases, however, sedation will still be necessary. 

More and more care teams are treating BAV stenosis with TAVR instead of surgical aortic valve replacement. Self-expanding and balloon-expandable valves appear to have their own benefits—as well as their own risks. 

Abbott's TAVR valve now has CE mark approval for treating low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients who present with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The news comes as new data on the valve's safety and effectiveness were just published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Hemodynamic valve deterioration after one year was more common in patients with a small aortic annulus. In fact, receiving a larger valve was linked to a “protective” quality that appeared to help keep the risk of such complications to a minimum.

Edwards Lifesciences asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week to dismiss the complaint against the company's acquisition of JenaValve this week. A healthcare market analysis firm also said the FTC actions will likely impact the timing of an FDA clearance of the Trilogy heart valve.

Women are associated with a significantly higher rate of in-hospital disabling strokes than men, according to a new study of nearly 380,000 TAVR patients. What can cardiologists do to help limit these complications?