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.

Compensation for U.S. cardiologists is up across the board, according to a recent survey published by MedAxiom, an American College of Cardiology company. The report identified similar trends for cardiovascular surgeons, highlighting the country’s high demand for all heart specialists in 2024 and beyond.

SCAI celebrates legacies of pioneer pediatric cardiologists

Five veteran clinicians have been recognized for their lasting impact on the field of pediatric cardiology. 

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How anticoagulants may impact a patient’s risk of gastrointestinal bleeding after TAVR

Researchers tracked the rates of major gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with AFib randomized to receive edoxaban or a vitamin K antagonist after a successful TAVR procedure.

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Boston Scientific pulls plug on TAVR devices after failing to gain FDA approval

After years of trying to catch up with the competition, Boston Scientific is moving on. The company is no longer seeking approval from the FDA or any other regulatory agencies for these devices, and all global sales have been discontinued.

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FDA approves self-expanding Tendyne TMVR device from Abbott

The self-expanding valve, which gained CE mark approval back in 2020, is available in multiple sizes and can be fully retrieved and repositioned as it is implanted.

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Permanent pacemaker implantation after mitral valve surgery: Exploring the impact on long-term survival

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.

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Meril TAVR valves linked to 1-year outcomes similar to industry-leading devices from Medtronic, Edwards

Indian medtech company Meril Life Sciences has been manufacturing its Myval TAVR valves for years, but FDA approval has remained out of reach. These latest data represent a one-year update of the multicenter LANDMARK clinical trial.

Topaz transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) system TriCares

Cardiologist shares positive first-in-human data on TriCares TTVR device

The new Topaz TTVR system was associated with the consistent elimination of tricuspid regurgitation. In addition, none of the first 20 patients treated with the device required a permanent pacemaker as a result of the procedure.

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Early TAVR or SAVR in asymptomatic patients linked to improved survival, reduced costs

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