Current and new-generation transcatheter aortic valve devices: an update on emerging technologies

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an accepted treatment option for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are at high risk for traditional surgical aortic valve replacement. In particular, TAVI has been shown to reduce mortality in a randomized comparison with medical treatment and to be non-inferior to surgical aortic valve replacement in 'high-risk operable' patients. From its early stages it became apparent that TAVI has tremendous potential and thus considerable efforts were made to design new devices and advance valve technology in order to improve outcomes and increase TAVI applications in complex anatomies and in patients with multiple co-morbidities. In this review, we present the advances in transcatheter aortic valve technology and discuss the current evidence on the new-generation TAVI devices.