Experts call for NICE to update TAVI guidance in line with rest of Europe

  Experts have called for NICE to update its guidelines on the use of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in intermediate patients to reflect new European guidance so patients don’t miss out on optimal treatment options. Speaking at the recent London Valves conference, experts discussed the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) guidance on valvular heart disease, in which they lower the threshold for intervention with TAVI to patients at intermediate-risk of surgery. Previously the 2012 guidelines stipulated that TAVI should only be considered for those patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis at high risk of surgery. Currently approximately 1.5 million people in