Self-expanding versus balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with small aortic annuli: Primary outcomes from the randomized SMART Trial

Alessandro Sticchi interviews Howard C. Herrmann about the primary outcomes from the randomized SMART Trial which he presented at ACC.24 in Atlanta.

Patients with severe aortic stenosis and small aortic annuli, typically female and often underrepresented in clinical trials, are at risk for impaired valvular hemodynamics and associated adverse cardiovascular outcomes following TAVR. The primary outcomes of the SMART trial revealed superior valve performance with the self-expanding Evolut valve, although clinical outcomes were similar at one year. Future research will explore long-term implications and patient subgroup variations in valve durability and outcomes.