Transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Aortic stenosis is the most common form of valvular heart disease in the Western world and until recently, surgical aortic valve replacement has been the only treatment available for patients with this disease that has been shown to improve both symptoms and survival. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has emerged as a new therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are poor surgical candidates due to their elevated surgical risk. As longer follow up is obtained and improvements continue to be made in the current available prostheses, transcatheter aortic valve replacement will likely become a treatment alternative for high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis.