Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the U.S.: A Snapshot of Current Use

The STS/ACC Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry, begun in December 2011, provides a comprehensive monitoring of these procedures in the U.S. Now, leaders of this effort have produced an up-to-date report on transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), with information from inception of the registry through 2014. Of note, about 10,000 procedures were not included in the registry because they were part of investigational device exemption trials.

The registry included 348 centers. From 2012 to 2014, the number of TAVR procedures increased from 4590 to 12,785 per year, while in-hospital mortality decreased from 5.3% to 4.4%. The mean age of patients undergoing the procedure was 82; 51% were men, and fewer than 5% were black. Patient cha…