Trials Testing the Value of Imaging Use in Valve Disease and in Transcatheter Valvular Interventions.

The role of imaging in the diagnosis of valvular heart disease is well established through years of investigation and validation. However, the role of imaging in guiding the treatment decision-making for valvular heart disease is less well established, and there is a striking paucity of randomized trial data to help inform these decisions. Given this relative absence of randomized trial data, the present article highlights some of the most important knowledge gaps and defines meaningful opportunities for the field to help advance the care of patients with valvular heart disease in a cost-effective fashion. (The PARTNER 3-Trial: The Safety and Effectiveness of the SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve in Low Risk Patients With Aortic Stenosis [P3]; NCT02675114; Medtronic Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients; NCT02701283).