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The UK TAVI trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-utility of TAVI, compared with conventional surgical aortic valve replacement, in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, who are at intermediate or high operative risk.

BACKGROUND

Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the valve through which blood flows as it leaves the heart, and affects 13% of people over the age of 70 years. It is usually due to age-related degeneration. If the narrowing becomes severe, chest pain, breathlessness, fluid retention and fainting are common, and the outlook is poor with a high risk of death within 2-3 years. The only effective conventional treatment is surgical replacement of the valve, which involves open chest surgery and temporarily stopping the heart, with use of a heart-lung machine. Surgical results are generally excellent but the elderly often have other medical problems that may result in an increased risk of death and complications. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a recently developed technique to implant an artificial aortic valve without major surgery, using a catheter to deliver the valve to the heart through the arteries, which are usually accessed by puncturing the skin in the groin. In some cases, the valve is delivered directly through a small incision in the chest wall. The UK TAVI trial will assess the cost effectiveness and cost-utility of TAVI, compared with conventional surgery.