Embolic brain lesions during cardiovascular procedures are extremely common, highlighting why stroke risk remains an important concern in procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Using diffusion MRI, ischemic brain injuries can be detected in the majority of patients—approximately 68–98%—after procedures like TAVR. In about one out of every 30 to 50 patients, these injuries lead to a clinically diagnosed stroke shortly after the procedure. In the remaining patients, the lesions may not produce immediate symptoms, but growing evidence suggests they may still contribute to downstream brain effects, including neuroinflammation, disruption of brain networks, and potentially long-term cognitive decline.

On Monday, Michael Dwyer, PhD, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) Deputy Director and Associate Professor of Neurology at University at Buffalo, spoke at CRT 2026 about “Embolic Lesions in TAVR: Contributors, Consequences, and Protection.” The discussion focused on what these lesions represent biologically, how diffusion MRI can help quantify procedural brain injury, and what this means for prevention strategies such as cerebral embolic protection.