ABSTRACT
The role of the surgeon in the cardiac catheterization laboratory has evolved considerably over the past 20 years. In the early days of percutaneous coronary intervention, a surgical theatre was kept on standby in case surgical rescue was required. With the proven success of percutaneous coronary intervention, the rate of coronary artery bypass surgery declined worldwide in favour of percutaneous correction. Today, however, the advent of hybrid procedures and development of percutaneous structural heart interventions), particularly transcatheter aortic valve implantation has led to a renewed era of mutual co-operation between surgeons and interventional cardiologists. This chapter traces the development of transcatheter aortic valve implantation, percutaneous mitral valve therapy and hybrid coronary revascularisation from a surgical perspective, emphasizing the various problems and challenges associated with these procedures, and with reference to the key clinical trials that established their therapeutic benefits.
