Medtronic announces FDA approval for Evolut FX+ TAVR

Medtronic announced that the FDA has approved the Evolut FX+ transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, system for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The latest Evolut FX+ TAVR system maintains the valve performance benefits of the legacy Evolut TAVR platform and is designed to facilitate coronary access. The Evolut FX+ TAVR system offers larger coronary access windows through a modified diamond-shaped frame design, which is four times larger than previous iterations of the Evolut TAVR system. Evolut FX+ provides increased space for catheter maneuverability to facilitate access to coronary arteries of varying patient anatomies. Additionally, the new design does not compromise the market leading valve performance, excellent hemodynamics, and radial strength that clinicians expect from the Evolut platform. Severe aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve leaflets become stiff and thickened and have difficulty opening and closing, making the heart work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body. Severe aortic stenosis often reduces a patient’s quality of life and limits their daily activities. If left untreated, 50% of patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis can die from heart failure in as little as two years.