Degeneration of prosthesis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

With the expanding indication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to younger, lower risk population, transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) long-term durability is becoming an emerging issue to face with. Recently, the standardization of structural valve deterioration (SVD) definition by a join committee of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) has permitted to evaluate for the first time the rates of TAV durability with comparable endpoint. A few studies reporting on structural valve dysfunction (SVD) after TAVI up to 8 years using these standardized criteria have found very low rates of valve deterioration, thus supporting the adoption of TAVI treatment even for younger patients. For patients showing SVD at follow-ups, the VIVID (Valve-in-Valve International Data) group recently proposed an algorithm for their management. Re-do TAVI seems to be a safer and valid alternative to re-do surgery for symptomatic patients. This article review will go through the current evidence of TAV durability, describing the types of failure and strategies of treatment.