International Circulation: What do you think about the future development of TAVI? Do you think it will eventually replace the traditional surgery as the most widely applied procedure in treating severe aortic stenosis?

Gerhard Schuler:   Probably not or at least it is very unlikely because these are all biological prostheses with a limited durability.  As in conventional valve surgery we do not use biological prostheses in younger patients specifically due to this limited durability.  I think I can foresee some extension and inclusion of patients above the age of 70 perhaps but application of TAVI to patients below the age of 65 is unlikely due to the wellknown reasons of destruction of the biological tissue of these valves. 

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