Native aortic valve regurgitation: transcatheter therapeutic options

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an acceptable treatment for patients with aortic stenosis but remains contraindicated for patients with native aortic valve regurgitation (NAVR). It is well established that patients with severe NAVR and symptoms have a poor prognosis if left untreated and that they should be offered surgical aortic valve replacement. There are patients with NAVR and at high surgical risk for whom conventional surgical aortic valve replacement may be unsuitable. Until recently there has been limited experience in the treatment of these patients with TAVI but outcomes from isolated case reports and small registries are encouraging. Of interest are certain new TAVI devices with design features which may make them better suited to the treatment of NAVR patients.