ABSTRACT
History of the procedure Steps toward the development of transcatheter valve replacement began as early as 1965. Inspired by the success of the Hufnagel ball valve, Hywel Davies investigated the possibility of reproducing this surgical treatment by a percutaneous approach.1 He was able to mount a parachute valve onto a catheter tip and temporarily treat the untoward effects of aortic regurgitation. Like Davies, other groups2,3 with similar devices tried to duplicate the surgical approach percutaneously, but were never able to apply the techniques to humans due to limitations discovered during animal experimentation. In 1985, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) emerged as a treatment for non-surgical patients with degenerative aortic stenosis.4
Though BAV could effectively palliate the symptoms of congestive heart failure and diminish the rate of rehospitalization in this group, the duration of benefits remained unpredictable and rarely lasted more than 1 year because of valve restenosis.5-11
