UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

Aortic valve stenosis is a heart condition where the aortic valve narrows leading to a decrease in blood flow which can make the heart work harder to pump blood. As of today, there are two methods to treating this condition, TAVI and SAVR. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a method used to replace the aortic valve located in the heart through the blood vessels. This method is a less invasive method as opposed to Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR) which is the traditional method that requires open heart surgery. There is still doubts as to whether TAVI is considered to be a more successful technique as compared to the traditional technique. Based on a large amount of evidence, the debate of TAVI versus SAVR will be further explored to establish which method is more beneficial. This review will analyze the numerous studies conducted on the different risks and complication that can occur with TAVI as well as its health benefits in contrast to SAVR.