Abstract: Abstract: The incidence of calcific aortic stenosis (CAS) is increasing year by year. Patients with CAS suffer symptoms of angina, dyspnea, syncope as a consequence and poor prognosis. Surgical valve replacement can significantly improve the life quality and prognosis of patients. However, traditional surgery can lead to serious complications, especially for older patients with preoperative complications. As a result, more than 30% of patients were unable to undergo surgical treatment. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a technique in which a bioprosthetic valve is inserted via a catheter and implanted within the diseased native aortic valve, is a new therapeutic modality for treatment of older patients with severe comorbidities. Many clinical studies have showed that TAVI can significantly reduce mortality. That over 400 000 TAVI procedures have now been performed worldwide. With the accumulation of clinical data, the indications for TAVI can be expanded to young and low risk patients. On the basis of the rich experience accumulated in developed countries in Europe and America, TAVI intervention technology has been introduced in China since 2010. It has a definite clinical effect, which has kindled the hope of life for such patients in our country. Although TAVI surgery is not the gold standard for the treatment of aortic valve disease at the present stage, minimally invasive or noninvasive therapy represents the development direction of the future valvular surgery.

Key words:  aortic valve stenosis, heart valve prosthesis, calcific aortic stenosis, surgical valve replacement, transcatheter aortic valve implantation