Press Conference: Heart Surgery Is Excellent Option for Elderly Patients with Aortic Stenosis

Elderly patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and medium surgical risk experienced better than expected results after undergoing traditional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), according to research presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

“In an era that includes both SAVR and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), it is clear that the treatment for aortic stenosis has changed,” said Vinod H. Thourani, MD, from Emory University in Atlanta, who led the study. “But even with the availability of the relatively new TAVR procedure, SAVR remains a safe and effective way to treat aortic stenosis in intermediate-risk, elderly patients.”