Abstract
Cardiac valve surgery has undergone significant changes in recent years. In the field of aortic valve surgery, a decline in the current numbers of isolated aortic valve replacements is already a visible result of the introduction of catheter-based interventions (TAVI). The many studies comparing surgical aortic valve replacement with interventional replacement have demonstrated either non-inferiority or even mild superiority of TAVI (especially in the intermediate risk area). This development has led to a primary recommendation for both surgery and intervention in moderate-risk to high-risk patients. Additionally, a series of tables has been developed to enable the generation of individualized treatment recommendations by the heart team. For the mitral valve, significant insights have been gained on the efficacy and prognosis of mitral valve reconstruction and replacement. Thus, it became clear that a successful and durable reconstruction for primary mitral regurgitation can improve life expectancy. The experience of the operating surgeon has a significant impact on repair probability and durability. Furthermore, the importance of tricuspid valve repair has increased so that the guidelines recommend tricuspid valve reconstruction for cardiac surgery indicated by other concomitant pathologies, even in the presence of low-grade tricuspid regurgitation with the indication of annulus dilatation. Finally, there is a clear trend towards the expansion of minimally invasive techniques. This article summarizes the most important and interesting studies from 2017.