Anesthetic Management for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)

The field of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has grown enormously. Although it was initially embraced as a therapeutic option for patients with an unacceptably high operative risk for surgical aortic valve replacement, advances in product design and improved operator skill and experience are driving its adoption as a viable alternative to open surgery for a much larger group of patients. Many patients currently undergoing TAVI are elderly and have multiple comorbidities, making their care complex. Anesthetic care is shifting from general anesthesia to sedation and regional block, but life-threatening complications are still relatively common and safety during planning and conduct of these procedures by the heart team, with the anesthesiologist at the centre, is paramount.