Life expectancy of patients with a transcatheter aortic valve and the implications for long-term valve durability data collection

Introduction Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a therapeutic standard for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) across all surgical risk categories. In the European guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease, TAVI received a class 1 recommendation for the treatment of patients with symptomatic severe AS aged ≥75 years, and the lower age limit was set as low as 65 years in the American guidelines12. Both the European and American guidelines emphasise the importance of balancing the life expectancy of the patient with the valve durability when considering a surgical or transcatheter bioprosthetic valve. However, robust ...