Aortic stenosis and transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the elderly.

BACKGROUND

Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is a condition that commonly affects elderly Australians. Once symptomatic, severe AS has a poor prognosis if untreated. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a percutaneous procedure that is now the recommended treatment for elderly patients with severe AS who are suitable for intervention.

OBJECTIVE

This article provides a contemporary review of the diagnosis and management of severe AS in the elderly.

DISCUSSION: Management options for severe AS include TAVI, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), or medical/palliative therapy. In elderly adults, TAVI improves mortality, symptoms and quality of life compared with medical therapy, and is superior to SAVR. The decision regarding which management option is most appropriate for an individual patient is made using a collaborative multidisciplinary approach. General practitioners play key roles in providing information to risk stratify patients when considering intervention, caring for patients after the procedure and/or providing medical and palliative treatment for those deemed unsuitable for intervention.