In recent years, there have been a number of technological developments in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease. PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) with insertion of stents into dilated diseased coronary arteries has arisen as a possible alternative to the coronary artery bypass operation. Patients with aortic valve disease now have a catheter based treatment available to them - TAVI or transcatheter aortic valve Implantation.
This avoids the need for open heart surgery and replacement of the aortic valve.
