Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Cardiol. Apr 26, 2015; 7(4): 178-186
Published online Apr 26, 2015. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v7.i4.178
Practical update on imaging and transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Gisela Feltes, Iván J Núñez-Gil
Gisela Feltes, Iván J Núñez-Gil, Cardiovascular Unit, Centro Médico Paris, 28023 Pozuelo, Spain
Iván J Núñez-Gil, Interventional Cardiology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Author contributions: Both authors contributed to this manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest: None.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Iván J Núñez-Gil, MD, PhD, FESC, Interventional Cardiology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Prof. Martín Lagos S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain. ibnsky@yahoo.es
Telephone: +34-91-3307265 Fax: +34-91-3300000
Received: October 23, 2014
Peer-review started: October 24, 2014
First decision: December 12, 2014
Revised: January 15, 2015
Accepted: January 30, 2015
Article in press: February 2, 2015
Published online: April 26, 2015
Processing time: 178 Days and 19.5 Hours
Abstract

After very rapid advances in the development of the technique and devices, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (named TAVI or TAVR), is today a reality that is here to stay. It has become the minimally-invasive treatment option for high-risk and non-surgical patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Requiring the participation of a multidisciplinary team for its implementation, cardiac imaging plays an important role. From pre-assessment to determine the suitability of the patient, the access site, the type of device, to the guidance during the procedure, and ultimately the long term monitoring of the patient. Correct selection of the patient and device, correct placement of the stent-valve and early detection of complications are of paramount importance for procedural success and for patient outcome. Each technique has advantages and disadvantages, being the cardiologist who will determine the best approach according to the type of patient and the expertise of the center in each one of them. This article summarizes the last contributions of the most common used imaging techniques, in each step of the procedure.

Keywords: TAVI; TAVR; Echocardiography; Multislice tomography; Cardiac magnetic resonance; Aortic stenosis

Core tip: Cardiac imaging is of crucial importance in the whole process of transcatheter aortic valve implantation, from initial evaluation, intraprocedural guidance and post implantation evaluation and early detection of complications. Multiple techniques are available for this, and as the rapid development of new devices and equipments, the greater the necessity of being aware of these advances. We provide current data and tips for this purpose. This is the reason of this work.