UC Davis

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular disorder frequently affecting patients as they get older, and resulting in life-altering symptoms such as dyspnea, angina, pre-syncope, and syncope, which are often made worse with exertion. Often, AS is caused by age-related calcification of the valve; in addition, its pathogenetic mechanism also involves the fact that bicuspid aortic valves tend to narrow rapidly compared to other three-leaflet valve. As the aging population continues to grow, an increasing number of patients are seeking treatment for AS, which makes therapies for AS continuing to evolve and improve. Initially, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), requiring a median sternotomy and an extended postoperative intensive care unit stay, was the predominant therapy for patients with AS. Over the past few years, with the trend toward minimally invasive surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become more popular, offering an alternative to the traditional surgical approach, especially for patients who would previously be denied surgical replacement[1–2]. Consequently, the candidates for TAVR are often older (age >70 years) and have multiple, frequently moderate-to-severe comorbidities[3].