Transcatheter replacement of the aortic valve--a novel treatment modality for high-risk patients]

Aortic stenosis is the most common valve disease and in line with the rising life expectancy, the population of patients with this disease is expected to rise in years to come. About one third of the patients evaluated for conventional surgical replacement of the aortic valve are dismissed due to high risk of complication as a result of age and occurrence of comorbidity. For this group of inoperable patients, a new treatment can be offered in the form of transcatheter replacement of the aortic valve. This article describes the method and the current experiences.