Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

Cardiologists perform first TAVR of its kind by anchoring valve to crushed stent
The patient, 78, presented with severe AR and no signs of calcification. She was considered a poor choice for surgery or traditional TAVR due to multiple risks. That is where the new-look ATLAS technique came in.
3D software helps cardiologists plan ahead for TAVR complications
Serious complications are rare after TAVR, but they can be catastrophic or fatal when they do occur. The care team at Sentara Heart Hospital found that bringing in new 3D software made it much easier to plan ahead for such issues.
FDA clears AI-powered platform that personalizes care during TAVR, cardiac pacing procedures
The newly cleared CARA System from Cara Medical was designed to help clinicians before and during a variety of cardiac procedures. It provides a personalized 3D map of the patient's cardiac conduction system and then overlays that map onto live fluoroscopic images.
PFO closure after thromboembolism linked to strong 20-year outcomes
Recurrent strokes and TIAs were rare, though bleeding events among women did stand out as a trend to watch going forward.
TAVR a safe treatment option for patients who have undergone chest radiation therapy
In fact, researchers wrote, TAVR and SAVR were linked to comparable long-term outcomes for heart patients who have previously been exposed to mediastinal radiation.

After traversing the aortic cusp with an electrified wire and balloon inflation, a stent is positioned inside the noncoronary cusp and deployed. Immediately after, a transcatheter aortic valve is expanded, and the stent is crushed on the left ventricular outflow tract wall and annulus, while anchored to the aortic valve leaflet.

Cardiologists perform first TAVR of its kind by anchoring valve to crushed stent

The patient, 78, presented with severe AR and no signs of calcification. She was considered a poor choice for surgery or traditional TAVR due to multiple risks. That is where the new-look ATLAS technique came in.

Matthew Summers, MD, FACC, program director for structural heart, Sentara Heart Hospital, Norfolk, Virginia, explains how his center used a new transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) 3D CT planning software to better identify patients who are at high risk of complications. The software also enables the heart team to test the best placement of various valves to create a procedure plan tailored for each patients unique anatomy.

3D software helps cardiologists plan ahead for TAVR complications

Serious complications are rare after TAVR, but they can be catastrophic or fatal when they do occur. The care team at Sentara Heart Hospital found that bringing in new 3D software made it much easier to plan ahead for such issues.

simulation of the conduction pathway relative to various cardiac structures.

FDA clears AI-powered platform that personalizes care during TAVR, cardiac pacing procedures

The newly cleared CARA System from Cara Medical was designed to help clinicians before and during a variety of cardiac procedures. It provides a personalized 3D map of the patient's cardiac conduction system and then overlays that map onto live fluoroscopic images.

A majority of medical devices involved in Class I recalls were never required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to undergo premarket or postmarket clinical testing, according to new research published in Annals of Internal Medicine.[1]

PFO closure after thromboembolism linked to strong 20-year outcomes

Recurrent strokes and TIAs were rare, though bleeding events among women did stand out as a trend to watch going forward.

TAVR a safe treatment option for patients who have undergone chest radiation therapy

In fact, researchers wrote, TAVR and SAVR were linked to comparable long-term outcomes for heart patients who have previously been exposed to mediastinal radiation.

Registry data point to ‘striking shift’ in treatment decisions after FDA approved low-risk TAVR

Many experts still recommend SAVR over TAVR for patients younger than 65 years old with severe aortic stenosis. However, transcatheter treatments are growing more and more popular when these younger patients require a valve replacement.

Gore completes acquisition of medtech company behind next-gen heart device

Gore has officially acquired Conformal Medical, the company known for an investigational LAAO device that uses a proprietary foam implant. The transaction was first announced in January.

After years of implanting left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) devices in atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients, an interventional cardiologist with the University of Chicago Medical Center (UChicago Medicine) has developed a new device that could be a more affordable alternative to Boston Scientific’s Watchman and Abbott’s Amplatzer Amulet LAA Occluder.

Cardiologist develops new heart device that uses gel to reduce stroke risk in AFib patients

After years of implanting and studying LAAO devices, an interventional cardiologist with the University of Chicago has designed a new alternative that could reduce the risk of bleeding and save health systems money.