Aortic Tissue Heart Valve Moves Closer to Market Approval

An illustration of the BASILICA procedure showing the leaflet of the original bioprosthetic valve sliced open to allow coronary blood flow after implantation of a TAVR valve. The new TAVR valve can push the leaflets of the bioprosthetic valve upwards, blocking the coronary arteries. During the BASILICA procedure, a catheter directs an electrified guidewire through the base of the left aortic cusp into a snare in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). After snare retrieval, the mid-shaft of the guidewire is electrified to lacerate the leaflet, and the the leaflet splays after TAVR permitting coronary flow.

Left, an illustration of the beginning of deployment for a CoreValve Evolut self-expanding transcatheter aortic replacement (TAVR) valve. Right, an illustration of the final balloon expansion of an Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 TAVR valve. Both valves received simultaneous FDA clearance for use in low-risk surgical patients. Clearing this last hurdle now allows wide-spread use of minimally invasive TAVR in all patients who otherwise would need an open-heart surgical valve replacement.