Patients Overall Health is Key to Aortic Valve Procedure Outcome

Undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve implant can be lifesaving, but patients who are too sick before surgery may not benefit.

Published: December 6, 2012

The development of the transcatheter aortic valve implant (TAVI) has been a breakthrough in the treatment of inoperable patients with failing aortic valves. But a Cleveland Clinic study found that the survival prognosis for these patients depends largely on the severity of their comorbidities, those health complications unrelated to their valve disease.