Von Willebrand Factor Multimers during Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement

Patients with stenotic or regurgitant aortic valve disease appear to cleave multimers of Von Willebrand factor (HMW-multimer), presumably due to high-shear stresses and non-laminar flow. Van Belle and colleagues hypothesized that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) would correct this process, but that significant residual paravalvular leak (PVL) following TAVR would abrogate this corrective effect. Moderate to severe PVL has been associated with increased rates of hospitalization, …