Session 1.1 | Can Transcatheter Technology Approach Native Valve Physiology?

Chair: Azeem Latib

Panel: Gregory Fontana, Andrea Scotti

As TAVR evolves into lifetime therapy for younger, lower-risk patients, the goal is shifting from simple valve replacement to true restoration of native valve physiology. This session examines whether biomimetic design can meet that challenge.

Dr Gregory Fontana sets the scene with an exploration of why gradient alone is insufficient to define haemodynamic success, and how disrupted flow impacts LV workload, durability and long-term outcomes. Dr Andrea Scotti then walks through a step-by-step DurAVR implantation in a young patient with a small annulus, highlighting commissural alignment and the valve's distinctive coaptation characteristics. Dr Azeem Latib closes with 30-day outcomes from 100 small annuli patients, presenting encouraging data on laminar flow restoration, LV mass regression, and the upcoming PARADIGM pivotal trial.