Transcatheter aortic valve implantation and potential role of 3D imaging

Valvular heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and degenerative aortic stenosis has become the most common native valve disorder. Many patients require eventual aortic valve replacement. For patients not considered surgical candidates, less invasive transcatheter approaches for valve replacement/implantation are becoming a viable alternative. The design and further improvement of transcatheter aortic valve implantation systems is an elaborate process. 3D imaging is increasingly used for device design because it allows for quantification of the in vivo anatomy and deformation of the aortic root. Computed tomography is particularly attractive because it allows fast acquisition of high-resolution data-sets of the root, including the leaflets and coronary artery ostia. In this article, we will describe how data from 3D imaging in the context of transcatheter aortic valve implantation may impact device design.