The role of the heart team in complicated transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a 7-year single-centre experience

The procedure of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was analyzed in 2287 patients. About 11% needed surgical interventions, about 2% were converted to full sternotomy and about 1% required use of the heart lung machine. The authors advocate the presence of a cardiac surgeon at each TAVI and building experienced teams within specialized centres.