New two-year findings, presented at TVT 2021, suggest that the Watchman FLX device is a safe alternative to long-term oral anticoagulation therapy.

The new analysis included data from nearly 700 patients who underwent TEER, formerly known as TMVR, over an eight-year period. 

Rather than a binary choice—atherectomy or lithotripsy—the market for treating severely calcified lesions seems likely to evolve into a mixture of both technologies. That, in fact, is already occurring. One strategy gaining currency among interventionalists, particularly those in Europe, is to try a high-pressure balloon first in cases of moderately severe calcification and, if the device fails to fully expand, re-enter the vessel with atherectomy. 

The study's authors emphasized how important it is for clinicians to work together to determine the best treatment strategy. 

Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair was associated with improved outcomes among TAVR patients with persistent mitral regurgitation. 

The team's findings were presented at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Overall, one-year findings showed that there were no instances of mortality, endocarditis, major stent fractures or surgical intervention among patients who received the Harmony TPV.

The procedure's clinical success rate was 97.8%, researchers reported.