Latest Advances in Transcatheter Cardiac Valvular Treatment

When the original monograph on valvular prostheses was published in Surgical Technology International, back in 1993, transcatheter technology had not yet been invented. These techniques have been gradually revealed in subsequent issues. When we first considered writing a paper that described both surgical and transcatheter prosthesis, we realized that such a combined paper would be impractically large. Therefore, we decided to split our survey into more than one paper. This paper seeks to address the paucity of information available regarding transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and similar devices. This publication may serve as a reference point for critically organizing information on an evolving topic. The following article deals with the large number of transcatheter devices related to valvular and ventricular pathologies: TAVI for the aortic and mitral valves, with a focus on indications, techniques and complications, as well as specific aortic devices, and devices to treat mitral regurgitation with non-conventional access. Every effort has been made to make the content relevant and up-to-date, which proved to be particularly challenging due to the continuous technological evolution which characterizes this field.