transcatheter aortic valve replacement (tavr) is a novel therapeutic intervention for the replacement of severely stenotic aortic valves in high-risk patients for standard surgical procedures. since the initial partner trial results, use of tavr has been on the rise each year. new delivery methods and different valves have been developed and modified in order to promote the minimally invasive p...

Percutaneous aortic valve implantation is an emergent technique alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement in high risk patients with aortic stenosis. Percutaneous aortic valve implantation techniques are undergoing rapid development and currently represent a dynamic field of research. Perioperative optimal strategies keep on evolving too. At a review of the literature, only three previou...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous aortic valve implantation by an antegrade transvenous approach has been described but is problematic. Retrograde prosthetic aortic valve implantation via the femoral artery has potential advantages. Percutaneous prosthetic aortic valve implantation via the femoral arterial approach is described and the initial experience reported. METHODS AND RESULTS The valve prosthes...

BACKGROUND The relationship of aortic valve dysfunction and ascending aortic aneurysm is unclear in adults with bicuspid aortic valve disease. METHODS We retrospectively studied 134 consecutive out-patients (98 men, 36 women aged 43 ± 18 years) with bicuspid aortic valve disease. To investigate the relationship of ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve dysfunction we exclusively considere...

quadricuspid aortic valve (qav) is an uncommon congenital anomaly which was an incidental finding during surgery or autopsy in the past. we present the case of a 44-year-old woman with moderately severe aortic regurgitation due to unequal cusp size qav diagnosed via transesophageal echocardiography. due to echocardiographic imaging improvement, the diagnosis of qav is now easier and earlier tha...

Until recently, percutaneous catheter therapy for valvular heart disease was limited to catheter balloon valvuloplasty for aortic, mitral, or pulmonic stenosis. A number of new approaches to percutaneous valve therapy are now developing rapidly, including methods for catheter-based valve replacement and repair. Stent-mounted valve prostheses have been successfully implanted in the pulmonic and ...

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a novel therapeutic intervention for the replacement of severely stenotic aortic valves in high-risk patients for standard surgical procedures. Since the initial PARTNER trial results, use of TAVR has been on the rise each year. New delivery methods and different valves have been developed and modified in order to promote the minimally invasive p...

FEBRUARY 2004 I ENDOVASCULAR TODAY I 31 D uring the last 2 decades, percutaneous endovascular therapies have revolutionized the treatment of coronary artery disease. However, the development and dissemination of percutaneous approaches to heart valve disease have been less rapid. Whereas rheumatic mitral stenosis and congenital aortic stenosis are effectively managed by balloon valvuloplasty in...

Percutaneous valve therapy developed initially with aortic valve replacement, described by Andersen et al3 in 1992 in a swine model. These investigators fabricated a stent-mounted bioprosthetic valve and demonstrated that percutaneous implantation is feasible. Bonhoeffer et al4 reported the use of a stent-mounted bioprosthesis for pulmonic valve replacement in 2000. This achievement clearly mar...

We appreciate the interest of Dr Heidrich and his colleagues in our recent report. We agree overall with their comments, and we think that, until large retrospective or perspective studies clarify this issue, bicuspid aortic valve as opposed to tricuspid aortic valve should be a relative contraindication to percutaneous device closure of atrial septal defects because of the high risk of aortic ...