TAVR Procedural Volumes and Patient Outcomes: Analysis of Recent Data

In less than 15 years, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has progressed from a procedure of last resort in patients at prohibitively high perioperative risk for major morbidity and mortality from surgical valve replacement to a viable alternative option to surgery in most patients with native (non-bicuspid) aortic valve stenosis. The number of medical centers offering TAVR has rapidly proliferated. There is mounting evidence that there are variations in patient outcomes associated with the yearly number of TAVR cases performed at each respective center. This review outlines the evolution of TAVR indications, common complications, the current literature addressing the association between procedural volumes and patient outcomes in TAVR, and offers a synopsis of risk factor assessment for patients considered for TAVR.