Mario Gaudino, MD, PhD, spoke to Cardiovascular Business about minimally invasive procedures, the growing interest in clinical trials and other key trends in the world of cardiac surgery.

PPMI after aortic valve surgery is known to increase certain risks for patients, but its impact after mitral valve procedures is unclear. A team of researchers aimed to learn more, tracking data from more than 4,500 patients.

Researchers explored data from more than 24,000 AVR patients, presenting their findings at EuroPCR in Paris.

While LVOT modification does make these procedures longer, it can help high-risk patients avoid systolic anterior motion.

“Conventional chest tubes are prone to clogging, which can hinder recovery,” one researcher explained. 

When a patient’s TAVR valve fails, redo TAVR is not always a feasible option. TAVR explantation and SAVR are typically the answer in these cases, but that approach is associated with certain risks. 

Paravalvular leak was more common after TAVR, as one may expect, but that was the only notable difference between the two aortic valve replacement strategies. The study's authors did highlight the importance of additional research, including larger studies with longer follow-up periods.

Patients often develop AFib during cardiac surgery, leading to longer hospital stays, additional healthcare costs and a higher risk of mortality. Cooling the oblique sinus of the patient's heart as soon as AFib starts to develop may represent a new way to stop the problem in its tracks.