Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) initially emerged as an alternative option to surgical aortic
valve replacement (SAVR) for patients with severe aortic stenosis who were considered either inoperable or
high-risk for surgery. However, since its advent the role of TAVR has been continuously evolving on the basis
of clinical trials which showed that TAVR is non-inferior to SAVR in patients with moderate as well as lowrisk for surgery. Because of recent technological advances, multidetector computer tomography (MDCT) is
inherently suitable for the pre-procedural assessment of patients being considered for TAVR within a very
short imaging time, MDCT can measure the diameter of the aortic annulus, provide detailed information
regarding the status of the entire thoracoabdominal aorta, and assess the caliber of the peripheral vasculature used for transcatheter heart valve delivery. This information helps interventionists make optimal preprocedural decisions and avoid complications. To familiarize non-imaging specialists with the role of MDCT
in TAVR, we provide a concise overview of our approach to using this modality for the pre-procedural
assessment of TAVR candidates.
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