Looking for the bare necessities.

The authors suggest that the early durability of the CoreValve implant should not be in question based on the results of this modestly sized, but well-done postmortem observational study. Given the ever-expanding knowledge of valvular degeneration, one thing is clear: more research and study is needed before any routine change in clinical practice, such as change it antithrombotic therapy, can be recommended. Further autopsy studies of patients who die outside of typical healthcare settings and who have had a longer median implant time would aid greatly in furthering the understanding of the degeneration and natural history of bioprosthetic transcatheter heart valves.