The aortic valve, the largest valve in the heart, helps to control the flow of blood from the most powerful chamber in the heart, the left ventricle, to the largest artery in the body, the aorta. When this crucial passageway becomes narrowed in a condition known as aortic valve stenosis, either due to congenital conditions, disease, or the normal aging process, the consequences for the patient can be severe. Artifical aortic valves can be a life-saving solution, but valve-replacement surgery is too risky to attempt for many patients. However, the Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve, which was first approved for use by the FDA in 2011, can be placed in the patient’s heart by means of a narrow catheter, avoiding the need for surgery. This technology addresses a major unmet clinical need and promises to transform a significant area of the practice of Cardiology. Research on the best ways to use the SAPIEN valve has been conducted nationwide since 2007 in a series of studies known as the PARTNER and PARTNER II trials. Together with colleagues in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Cardiology has been at the forefront of this transformative research under the leadership of Dr. S. Chiu Wong.

For more information about the PARTNER and PARTNER II trials, including links to publications, see http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00530894 and http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT01314313.

The PARTNER II trial is currently open to enrollment: see the studies open to enrollment.