TAVR

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a key structural heart procedure that has rapidly expanded in the decade since it was first FDA cleared. TAVR has come a paradigm shift in how many aortic stenosis patients are treated, now making up more than 50% of U.S. aortic valve replacements. It is less invasive than open heart surgery and recovery times are greatly reduced. TAVR can also be used in patients who otherwise are too high risk to undergo surgery. TAVR is referred to as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in many placed outside of the U.S. TAVR inspired the growing areas of transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

Michael Reardon at ACC.25 presenting data on low-risk TAVR and SAVR patients

So far, so good: TAVR comparable to open heart surgery after 5 years in low-risk patients

Michael J. Reardon, MD, shared the highly anticipated data with a large audience at ACC.25 in Chicago. Overall, he said, these five-year findings suggest TAVR with a supra-annular, self-expanding valve is a safe and effective alternative to SAVR.

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Cardiologists make case against routine interventions for asymptomatic severe AS

Aortic valve replacement is likely inevitable for patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Immediately planning for TAVR or SAVR, however, may not always be the answer.

Brian R. Lindman, MD, MSCI Medical Director, Structural Heart and Valve Center and associate professor of medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, gives an update on the American Heart Association Target: Aortic Stenosis quality improvement program to catch more missing referrals.

AHA still working to find more patients with severe aortic stenosis who may require care

The initiative is designed to help identify more patients who may require aortic valve replacement. Brian Lindman, MD, provided an update on the project's efforts.

ACC.24, the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), kicked off on Saturday, April 6, with a series of late-breaking clinical trials focused on testing the safety and effectiveness of new treatment strategies.

The biggest names in TAVR are sharing new data at ACC.25

The country’s two biggest TAVR vendors both plan on making a splash at ACC.25. Medtronic and Edwards Lifesciences spoke to Cardiovascular Business about their plans for the three-day event in Chicago.

heart patient

New drug shows early potential to treat aortic stenosis in some patients without TAVR, SAVR

The drug in question, ataciguat, could help heart patients avoid aortic valve replacement—or at least put it off until later in life.

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and attending cardiac surgeon at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Medicine, explains the late-breaking TAVR for failing bioprosthetic surgical valves five year outcomes from the PARTNER 3 Aortic Valve-in-Valve Registry at CRT 2025.

TAVR for failing surgical valves: Lessons learned from new 5-year data

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University, explained what these data can tell us about the lifetime management of patients who require aortic valve replacement.

Howard Herrmann, MD, University of Pennsylvania, explains details of the SMART Trial 2-year results at CRT 2025, where Evolut performed better hemodynamically than the Sapien 3 TAVR valve in small annuli patients. The study included 87% women.

SMART 2-year TAVR hemodynamic data: Medtronic Evolut is better compared to Edwards Sapien in small annulus patients

Sponsored by Medtronic

Howard Herrmann, MD,  MSCAI, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and lead invesigator for the SMART trial, explains details on the 2-year data comparing the Evolut vs. Sapien 3 for TAVR in small annulus patients.

A TAVR procedure being performed at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. These structural heart procedures require a team approach.

TAVR or TAVI? Cardiologists want a single acronym for the popular heart procedure

Clinicians are asking the world's medical societies to come together and agree on one acronym for TAVR/TAVI to avoid unnecessary confusion going forward.

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