PARTNER 2A & SAPIEN 3: TAVI for intermediate risk patients

Abstract

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently indicated for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are unfit for surgery or when the surgical risk is high. Thanks to the increasing experience of surgeons, better patient selection, and substantial improvements in device technology, the procedure is now being performed with excellent outcomes and a progressively lower rate of complications. As a result, the cut-off threshold to implant a transcatheter valve is gradually moving toward lower risk patients. However, this is not supported by strong evidence from rigorous large clinical trials. The PARTNER 2A and SAPIEN 3 trials were conducted to address this gap in our knowledge.