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  • Editorial: TAVR quality improvement with Evolut FX and the role of cusp-overlapping technique

    Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) devices have evolved to address common periprocedural complications identified in the early trials and achieve optimal patient outcomes. The CoreValve Evolut (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) supra-annular, self-expanding TAVR family underwent incremental improvements including recapturability and repositionability to facilitate proper placement in the aortic annulus and reduce the risk of embolization, the addition of an external sealing skirt to eliminate paravalvular leak (PVL), and a low-profile in-line sheath to decrease vascular access injury rates and treat patients with smaller (down to 5 mm) iliofemoral vessels. The redesign of the newest Medtronic self-expanding TAVR platform, Evolut FX, furthers the ease of use for improved control and more reliable and precise depth of implantation. Three radiopaque markers were added for commissural alignment. The markers are 3 mm from the Evolut FX inflow and alos provide a visual target for optimal positioning in the annulus to avoid both permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) and PVL. The Evolut FX delivery system single support spine facilitates access site and aortic traversal. Predictable commissural alignment is achieved by keeping the external flush port at 3 o'clock and fluoroscopically confirming the “hat marker” is located on the aortic outer curvature (in the LAO projection). Refined implantation techniques, using a cusp-overlap view, have further focused on implantation depth and commissural alignment. These inhanced Evolut FX features are increasingly important in planning Lifetime Valve Management for younger patients' future coronary access or redo TAVR [  ,  ].

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