Failure modes of surgical bioprostheses

TAVI within failing surgical aortic bioprostheses

With the increased use of surgical bioprosthetic valves and an ageing population, today’s clinician will inevitably be confronted with cases of bioprosthesis failure. While newer devices have much improved durability, being able to identify the nature and conditions that might lead to failure in these newer, as well as older devices, is critical. Knowledge of the basic construction and dimensions, radiographic identification, and potential failure modes of SAV bioprostheses is fundamental in understanding key principles involved in TAV-in-SAV implantation.