Comparison of Balloon-Expandable vs Self-expandable Valves in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

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Abstract
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as a new therapeutic option for inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis and as an effective alternative treatment modality to surgical aortic valve replacement in selected high-risk patients.1,2 Different from surgery, transcatheter deployment of aortic prostheses requires either a self-expandable or balloon-expandable system. Among the early generation transcatheter heart valves, 2 device types have been in widespread use: the self-expandable Medtronic CoreValve (Medtronic Inc) and the balloon-expandable Edwards SAPIEN valve (Edwards Lifesciences). Numerous studies have been published on the safety and efficacy of both devices, and both valves have been reported to have excellent flow characteristics.1-4