"With the dramatic reduction of rheumatic disease and the increase in life expectancy, valvular diseases are now mostly degenerative in industrialized countries(1). Calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common heart valve anomaly, with a largely age-dependent prevalence, a calculated annual incidence rate in the range of 4-5% in general populations and a marked increase up to 6% in patients greater than or equal to 75 years of age(2,3). Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) was previously the only option available to ...
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"With the dramatic reduction of rheumatic disease and the increase in life expectancy, valvular diseases are now mostly degenerative in industrialized countries(1). Calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common heart valve anomaly, with a largely age-dependent prevalence, a calculated annual incidence rate in the range of 4-5% in general populations and a marked increase up to 6% in patients greater than or equal to 75 years of age(2,3). Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) was previously the only option available to patients with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis, without which a median survival of 2 years was to be expected(4). After the first-in-human transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) performed by Alain Cribier in 2002(5), the treatment strategy for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis has been revolutionized. In over 15 years, penetration of TAVI has grown exponentially, as a result of accruing evidence demonstrating safety and efficacy, and reduced invasiveness compared with SAVR"--
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