Rapid deployment valves: current position on the market and future directions.

INTRODUCTION: With an estimated prevalence of nine million people worldwide, calcific aortic valve stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in North America and Western Europe. Although transcatheter procedures have expanded considerably over the past decade, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) remains a reliable and trusted therapeutic option. Sutureless (SU) and rapid deployment valves (RDVs) are bioprostheses specifically designed for implantation during SAVR using few or no sutures.These bioprostheses offer well-recognized advantages, including ease of implantation and shorter operative times, although higher rates of permanent pacemaker implantation have been reported. Their use is also well documented in the context of minimally invasive surgery.

AREAS COVERED: This article presents a narrative overview of the current evidence on the benefits, limitations, and typical clinical indications of SU/RDV prostheses. Recent developments and potential future applications are also discussed.

EXPERT OPINION: In the context of a rapidly evolving treatment paradigm for aortic valve stenosis, SU and RDV bioprostheses have demonstrated their value as reliable devices for surgical valve replacement. Continued clinical research will be essential to better delineate which patients may benefit most as part of an individualized, lifetime valve-management strategy.