Predictive Computational Models of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

In the last decades, biomechanical computer models have been increasingly adopted in the cardiovascular field either to improve the knowledge of pathological conditions or to anticipate possible outcomes of therapeutic interventions in specific patients. The present chapter stems from this new paradigm, also known as predictive medicine, and aims at presenting the state of the art of computer-based simulations for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We show how numerical analyses may be used to predict possible complications after TAVI with the aim of supporting the operation planning procedure and help heart surgeons choose the optimal strategy (i.e., that providing the best possible performance) for a given patient. Both balloon-expandable and self-expandable devices are taken into consideration and the predictive ability of computer simulations is highlighted for real clinical cases.