Summary

There are three major accepted indications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), as well as a number of minor conditions in which TAVI may be reasonable. The first is an inoperable patient with severe aortic stenosis (mean gradient >40 mm Hg or jet velocity >4 m/sec) and surgical risk >50%. The benefit of TAVI in these patients was shown in the PARTNER trial [NCT00530894; Leon MB et al. N Engl J Med 2010], which reported a cardiovascular mortality rate after 1 year of 20.5% for TAVI patients versus 44.6% for patients who received standard therapy (p<0.001).