Saad AM, Kassis N, Isogai T, et al. - Researchers used the Nationwide Readmissions Database to evaluate volume and performance trends of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in the United States, from 2012 to 2017. They analyzed patients who received endovascular/transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), or complex aortic valve surgery between 2012 and 2017. Overall 624,303 patients (median age 72 years) underwent AVR, of these, 170,521 (27%) had TAVI and 453,782 (73%) had SAVR with 299,398 isolated and 154,384 complex aortic valve surgery. During 2012 to 2017, there was a rise in the annual number of TAVI from 8,295 to 55,168 whereas SAVR volume continued to be remarkably stable. Significant improvements in death, stroke, span of hospitalization, and 30-day readmission were observed in patients who underwent AVR. Findings of this large contemporary study revealed the considerable growth of AVR in the US. It is unequivocal that aortic stenosis management is improving overall with decreased death post-AVR, this shows that various process improvements such as newer valves, enhanced patient selection, and the interdisciplinary Heart Team approach, are effective.