March 16, 2017- produced and interviewed by Steven E. Greer, MD
We interviewed William O’Neill, MD, one of the first to implant a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) valve. The products have been approved by the FDA for several years, and we asked him to update us on the real-world usage and safety.
He mentioned that valve leaflet thrombosis and embolic stroke is now being seen in at least 5% of the cases. This could be a game changer for the procedure.
Patients receiving TAVR now are mostly elderly or not best suited for open heart surgery. The companies would like to expand that market to all patients with aortic valve problems.