The roadmap to transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Nearly 300 years after the first description of aortic valve obstruction, it has taken less than two decades of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to become a recognized strategy for patients with aortic stenosis. The high density of recent publications makes it easy to ignore the history that led to the development of this procedure. Knowing the evolution of a diagnostic or therapeutic technique improves critical reasoning, prevents repeated mistakes, paves the way for future research and contributes to an insightful perspective on the subject. Nevertheless, it should not overshadow the findings of recently published RCTs, which still are the mainstay of clinical practice. In this timeline review, the authors aim to recap the development of TAVI, combining the pathophysiology of aortic stenosis and the initial concept of TAVI with the roadmap of clinical trials that led to the generalization of the TAVI procedure.