The evolution of transapical aortic valve implantation and new perspectives

Transcatheter/Hybrid Aortic Valves in the Young

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (T-AVI) has been established as an alternative to conventional aortic valve replacement. The number of procedures is steadily rising and has reached comparable implant rates to conventional aortic valve replacement. The success of T-AVI is easily explained by their true minimally invasive nature, ease of use, and excellent hemodynamics. Whilst their use was initially limited to high-risk patients, current trends show that more and more intermediate-risk patients are now treated with theses prostheses. The question arises whether children would also benefit from this type of procedure. Percutaneous transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement is already becoming an important adjunct in the treatment of older children with failing right ventricular outflow tract conduits. Recently, several valve-in-valve procedures have been performed using T-AVI in failing bioprosthetic valves in young patients. There has also been a report of successful transcatheter neoaortic valve replacements in young patients after Fontan palliation. As an alternative to transcatheter valves, so called hybrid or sutureless rapid deployment aortic valves have recently been introduced into clinical practice. Although this concept is old, the current generation of these prostheses has been redesigned based on modern experiences with transcatheter valves. Current outcomes demonstrate that aortic valve replacement with sutureless valves could be a promising option for aortic stenosis, by facilitating minimally invasive surgery and minimizing cardiopulmonary bypass and cross clamping time. Therefore, the sutureless valve could prove to be an important alternative to conventional bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement in children too. In the current review, we provide an overview of the different types of transcatheter and sutureless aortic valve substitutes, discuss their advantages and short comings, and outline their clinical performance and potential benefits in a young patient population.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation--update and evidence

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (T-AVI) has become the standard of care for high-risk patients suffering from severe aortic valve stenosis. More than 60,000 implants have been performed to date. While the first-generation T-AVI devices had some specific issues, the advancements in these first-generation devices and the development of second-generation devices significantly reduced the incidence of peri-procedural complications. The two major access routes are the transfemoral (TF) and the transapical (TA) approach. Both approaches have their advantages and should be considered equal alternatives for finding the best treatment option for the individual patient. Currently there are discussions about extending the indication to patients with lower risk profiles. However, there is no real evidence to justify an expansion, as results of surgical aortic valve replacement in low and intermediate risk patients are excellent.

Indications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation--now and next?

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular pathology and its prevalence is expected to increase rapidly in coming decades as a consequence of the increasingly elderly population. Without treatment, severe symptomatic AS has a very poor prognosis with a mortality of 50% at two years. Whilst surgical aortic valve replacement is the gold standard treatment, a significant minority of patients are deemed inoperable and declined surgery due to prohibitively high risk. The advent of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has revolutionised their treatment. In this review, we discuss current indications for TAVI, other applications of this technology and future indications.