The current status of transcutaneous aortic valve implantation

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a relatively novel procedure first performed in 2002 and has undergone rapid development since then. Its main indication is treatment of severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. Initially, the procedure was indicated for very sick patients who were not eligible for surgical aortic valve replacement. However, rapid development of the technology and operator skill required for TAVI allowed widening of the indications for its use. Currently, there is evidence that TAVI could be better than the surgical intervention in a broad population and not only in the most sick. This paper reviews the medical literature regarding TAVI, including the relevant medical equipment, different modes of its deployment, main complications of the procedure, main indications and contraindications, and the outcome of the patients who undergo it.