The Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve, developed by Edwards Lifesciences, gives patients who are considered high-risk or non-operable an alternative to traditional aortic valve replacement surgery.

Why Transcatheter?

The new heart valve is implanted without open-heart surgery, using minimally invasive techniques. First, the Edwards Sapien transcatheter heart valve is loaded onto a balloon delivery catheter. Then it is threaded through the patient’s circulatory system from the leg (transfemoral approach) or inserted between the ribs (transapical approach) directly into the heart and postioned to replace the patient’s diseased valve. Both procedures are performed on a “beating heart,” without the need for cadiopulmonary bypass and its associated risks.

Who is a possible candidate for the procedure?

Critical aortic stenosis

• Advanced age
• Previous sternotomy for cardiac procedures
• Previous radiation to the chest
• Porcelain (heavy calcification) of the aorta
• Frailty or debility
• A Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) predicted risk of mortality of conventional surgery >10%
• Cerebral or peripheral vascular disease, renal insufficiency or other significant co-morbidities
• Turned down for conventional valve replacement surgery

              TRANSAPICAL               TRANSFEMORAL