What's up on sutureless valves

Abstract

Sutureless aortic bioprostheses have been developed for use in high-risk patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis. These devices are mounted on a stent and are self-anchoring within the aortic annulus with no need for sutures, resulting in shorter operative and, hence, ischemic times. The use of these devices makes therefore valve implantation easier and faster, which seems to improve postoperative outcomes. At present, there are two commercially available sutureless aortic valves: the Perceval S (LivaNova Group, Milan, Italy) and the Intuity (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA). In this paper the studies published to date evaluating these two bioprosthesis models are reviewed, along with future directions and indications for the target patient population.