VIDEO: TAVR fills treatment gaps in aortic stenosis, but outcomes vs. surgery yet unknown

ORLANDO, Fla. — Frank Sellke, MD, chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at Brown Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital, discusses the use of novel therapies to treat aortic stenosis following a joint session between the American Heart Association and the Heart and Health Foundation of Turkey.

“There are patients who are either too sick or too old or too frail to have the traditional surgical procedure, so there’s a lot of emphasis on how to evaluate these patients and how to treat them most effectively,” he said.

Sellke, also chairman of the AHA Committee on Scientific Sessions Program, touches on the clinical task of assessing aortic stenosis severity and offers insight on transcatheter aortic valve replacement efficacy and appropriate populations.

He also highlights lessons on improving the outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement, detailing one minimally invasive approach shown in a presentation. “It was amazing that this could be performed.”

Sellke also underscored important lessons from an “outstanding” talk on best approaches for involving patients and families in the decisions for valve procedures and communicating related expectations.

“Surgical treatment is very good with relatively few complications and expected excellent long-term outcomes,” he said. “Will transcatheter approaches be able to replicate this? We don’t know at this time.”