Cardiac Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery includes coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), heart valve repair or replacement, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement, heart transplant, assisting in minimally invasive transcatheter valve structural heart procedures such as TAVR, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion, septal myectomy, surgical ablation for arrhythmias, and reconstruction of the heart in congenial heart disease cases.

A simple way to ensure more heart patients with severe AS receive the care they need
Sending helpful alerts through email and the electronic health record can make a significant impact on patient care, according to new data presented at ACC.25 and published in Circulation.
FDA announces new recall of Medtronic surgical devices over safety concerns
The agency warned that any unused devices should be removed from the market and returned to the manufacturer.
Cardiologists make case against routine interventions for asymptomatic severe AS
Aortic valve replacement is likely inevitable for patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Immediately performing TAVR or SAVR, however, may not always be the answer.
So far, so good: TAVR comparable to open heart surgery after 5 years in low-risk patients
Michael J. Reardon, MD, shared the highly anticipated data with a large audience at ACC.25 in Chicago. Overall, he said, these five-year findings suggest TAVR with a supra-annular, self-expanding valve is a safe and effective alternative to SAVR.
Strokes more likely for U.S. heart transplant recipients following policy change
A nationwide policy shift implemented in 2018 was designed to, among other things, improve the waiting list mortality rate. One unintended consequence, however, is that patients are now more likely to experience a stroke after receiving a new heart.

Video of Steven Bolling, MD, professor of cardiac surgery, University of Michigan, explaining trends in tricuspid valve repair and replacement at CRT 2025.

Key trends in transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions

Steven Bolling, MD, noted that tricuspid treatments have been linked to consistent benefits in terms of quality of life. However, he said, finding clear improvements in clinical outcomes has been more challenging.

New drug shows early potential to treat aortic stenosis in some patients without TAVR, SAVR

The drug in question, ataciguat, could help heart patients avoid aortic valve replacement—or at least put it off until later in life.

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and attending cardiac surgeon at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Medicine, explains the late-breaking TAVR for failing bioprosthetic surgical valves five year outcomes from the PARTNER 3 Aortic Valve-in-Valve Registry at CRT 2025.

TAVR for failing surgical valves: Lessons learned from new 5-year data

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University, explained what these data can tell us about the lifetime management of patients who require aortic valve replacement.

Mitral valve repair vs. replacement: Surgeons track long-term outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis

Mitral valve repair was linked to a significant improvement in long-term survival when treating infective endocarditis. Some patients are not good candidates for a repair procedure, however, making replacement the best possible option.

Surgeons in Houston have performed the world’s first successful human implant of BiVACOR’s Total Artificial Heart (TAH) technology. The procedure was completed July 9, 2024, at The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. It was part of an early feasibility study (EFS) first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in December 2023.

Patient discharged with total artificial heart for first time—goes 105 days while awaiting transplant

Total artificial heart recipients typically stay in the hospital. In this case, however, the patient was able to wait for a donated heart from the comfort of his own home.

Family files lawsuit after transplant ends in tragedy—says son ‘got the heart of a meth addict’

A Florida family is suing Mayo Clinic for allegedly performing a heart transplant without communicating certain risks associated with the donated organ. Mayo Clinic has pushed back against those claims, saying it acted appropriately every step of the way.

Blood tests for signs of organ rejection made available for young heart transplant patients

The donor-derived cell-free DNA tests from CareDx are designed to limit the use of surveillance biopsies and other more invasive treatment options. These tests have been available for adult patients for years now.

Cardiologists agree: Early TAVR or SAVR for asymptomatic severe AS limits strokes, hospitalizations

Two separate groups have published new research comparing early AVR with clinical surveillance for the treatment of asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Overall, the two groups found, early treatment was associated with multiple benefits—and no added risk of harm.

Cardiac Surgery

A simple way to ensure more heart patients with severe AS receive the care they need

FDA announces new recall of Medtronic surgical devices over safety concerns

Cardiologists make case against routine interventions for asymptomatic severe AS

So far, so good: TAVR comparable to open heart surgery after 5 years in low-risk patients

Strokes more likely for U.S. heart transplant recipients following policy change