Authors

• Maja Španjol — University Hospital Centre Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0003-1098-4034

Keywords

aortic valve, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, surgical aortic valve replacement

DOI

Full Text

Valvular heart diseases, along with coronary artery disease and heart failure, are among the most common cardiovascular diseases. Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most prevalent among them, and the only effective treatment method is aortic valve replacement. For many years, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has been the standard treatment method. However, over the past two decades, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as a less invasive and standardized approach, particularly for elderly, high-risk, and inoperable patients with severe symptomatic AS. This method has brought significant improvements in treatment outcomes and patients’ quality of life. (1-3) An analysis of results from the Department of Interventional Cardiology at the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka demonstrated that the transcatheter method of aortic valve replacement enables faster patient recovery, shortens hospital stays, and reduces the need for blood transfusions, which is particularly important for patients with high health risks. Furthermore, the TAVR method was associated with a lower mortality rate compared to the surgical approach. In contrast, surgical aortic valve replacement resulted in longer hospital stays, an increased incidence of bleeding, a higher requirement for blood transfusions, and a higher mortality rate. Based on these results, the high efficacy and safety of the transcatheter aortic valve replacement method have been confirmed. The TAVR method represents a significant advancement in the treatment of patients with aortic stenosis, particularly those at high risk for surgical intervention, supporting its broader application as a safer and less invasive alternative in the treatment of valvular heart diseases.

Literature

1. Monteagudo-Vela M, Panoulas V, Kourliouros A, Krasopoulos G. Is the quality-of-life improvement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation equivalent to that achieved by surgical aortic valve replacement? Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2021 November 22;33(6):866–70. https://doi.org/10.1093/icvts/ivab186
2. Leon MB, Smith CR, Mack M, Miller DC, Moses JW, Svensson LG, et al. Transcatheter aortic-valve implantation for aortic stenosis in patients who cannot undergo surgery. N Engl J Med. 2010 October 21;363(17):1597–607. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1008232
3. Vahanian A, Beyersdorf F, Praz F, Milojevic M, Baldus S, Bauersachs J, et al. 2021 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2021 October 22;60(4):727–800. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34453161/