That's probably it. Aortic stenosis is the most common valve dysfunction we see with old age, and it can be replaced in a minimally-invasive manner.
They go through your artery and do it all with wires. Super cool stuff, it opens up treatment possibilities for elderly patients that couldn't tolerate an open-heart procedure.
The other thing to consider is that the valve has to be soft and foldable to be transported through your blood vessels so it's not as durable as the mechanical prostheses. Rated for 10-15 years. So they only really do them for patients that aren't expected to outlive the heart valve
Aortic stenosis, organic and ischemic (functional) mitral regurgitation, and tricuspid regurgitation are the most common valvular disorders in elderly adults. Calcific or degenerative aortic valve disease is a common valvular lesion encountered among elderly patients.
Recently published transcather valve data is not great. Also problematic is entrance through the femoral artery. Many elderly patients have peripheral vascular disease and even moderate pvd can cause issues which leads to a fully open procedure .
Arnolds failed early and he had to go back in for an open procedure.
