Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery: Out of Date and Overly Prescriptive

Abstract

Patients with severe aortic stenosis who require non-cardiac surgery present a difficult clinical problem. The most recent clinical practice guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology for the perioperative cardiovascular assessment and management of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery were both published in 2014. These guidelines are reviewed in the light of recently published randomised controlled trial data regarding the efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation to treat aortic stenosis.