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.

The Medtronic CoreValve Evolut and the Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 TAVR valves.

TAVR still a safe option for patients with nickel allergies

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.

Toby Rogers, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine Georgetown University, and interventional cardiologist at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute Structural Heart Disease program, explains how the transcatheter electrosurgical procedures for transcaval access, SESAME, LAMPOON and BASILICA has helped large numbers of patients receive transcatheter heart valves who otherwise would have been disqualified due to anatomical issues.

Advances in electrosurgical techniques have helped thousands of transcatheter valve patients

Toby Rogers, MD, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University and an interventional cardiologist at MedStar, explains how electrosurgical procedures for transcaval access have helped large numbers of patients receive transcatheter heart valves who otherwise would have been disqualified due to anatomical issues. 
 

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No sedation required: Local anesthesia enough for most TAVR patients

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. 

Abbott's Navitor TAVR valve

Abbott receives expanded approval for Navitor TAVR system

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.

Medtronic has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its Evolut FX+ transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.

Medtronic receives updated FDA approval for redo TAVR

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.

Joan Michaels, RN, director of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) and IMPACT congenital heart registries, explains how TVT has helped reshape cardiology and the heart team approach.

Exploring the lasting legacy of the STS/ACC TVT Registry

"We're constantly trying to keep our fingers on the pulse of what's happening in the real world," explained Joan Michaels, RN, director of the STS/ACC TVT Registry.  "This is not a trial; this is real-world experience."

FTC challenge to Edwards JenaValve acquisition could delay FDA approval

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.

bicuspid aortic valve disease TAVR

TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis: Does device type matter?

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.