Cerebral embolic protection in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Recent advances

Despite major advances in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) technology during the last years, stroke remains one of the most serious complications of TAVI, tremendously increasing mortality and the loss of neurocognitive function. Since TAVI is expected to further spread into lower-risk patient groups, there will be greater emphasis to obviate such serious complications. One possible technique for preventing stroke is using cerebral embolic protection devices (CEPDs). CEPDs are designed for capturing or deflecting emboli that are en route to the brain and hence to protect the brain from embolism. Although their clinical utilization is increasing, the evidence for using CEPDs is not yet clear. Since this is a rapidly growing field with recent advances, and the impact of CEPD on preventing neurological events is still limited, there is an urgent need for understanding the role of CEPD in preventing clinically significant strokes. In this review, we present an overview of the available literature on CEPDs in patients undergoing TAVI and outline recent advances within this field.