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.

TAVR still a safe option for patients with nickel allergies
More research is still needed, as this study only included data from a small number of patients, but TAVR was not linked to any severe adverse events or allergic reactions.
Why patient selection is so important when performing M-TEER
As mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair continues to gain momentum in the United States, a new study of CMS data examines what happens to patient outcomes when the procedure fails.
Advances in electrosurgical techniques have helped thousands of transcatheter valve patients
Toby Rogers, MD, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University and an interventional cardiologist at MedStar, explains how electrosurgical procedures for transcaval access have helped large numbers of patients receive transcatheter heart valves who otherwise would have been disqualified due to anatomical issues.
No sedation required: Local anesthesia enough for most TAVR patients
New data out of ESC Congress 2025 suggest care teams can take a more minimalist approach during a majority of TAVR cases and only treat patients with local anesthesia. In some cases, however, sedation will still be necessary.
Abbott receives expanded approval for Navitor TAVR system
Abbott's TAVR valve now has CE mark approval for treating low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients who present with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The news comes as new data on the valve's safety and effectiveness were just published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Joan Michaels, RN, director of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) and IMPACT congenital heart registries, explains how TVT has helped reshape cardiology and the heart team approach.

Exploring the lasting legacy of the STS/ACC TVT Registry

"We're constantly trying to keep our fingers on the pulse of what's happening in the real world," explained Joan Michaels, RN, director of the STS/ACC TVT Registry. "This is not a trial; this is real-world experience."

FTC challenge to Edwards JenaValve acquisition could delay FDA approval

Edwards Lifesciences asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week to dismiss the complaint against the company's acquisition of JenaValve this week. A healthcare market analysis firm also said the FTC actions will likely impact the timing of an FDA clearance of the Trilogy heart valve.

TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis: Does device type matter?

More and more care teams are treating BAV stenosis with TAVR instead of surgical aortic valve replacement. Self-expanding and balloon-expandable valves appear to have their own benefits—as well as their own risks.

cardiologists going through the certification process

Hemodynamic deterioration 1 year after TAVR found in 6% of patients

Hemodynamic valve deterioration after one year was more common in patients with a small aortic annulus. In fact, receiving a larger valve was linked to a “protective” quality that appeared to help keep the risk of such complications to a minimum.

Advanced risk score predicts long-term survival after mitral valve surgery

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Risk Calculator is more traditionally used to calculate short-term risks, but this single-center analysis suggests it can also anticipate issues well into the future.

Medtech company raises $32M for foam-based LAAO device

New Hampshire-based Conformal Medical plans on using the funds to enroll more patients into an ongoing clinical trial.

Video interview with Jaffar Khan, MD, St. Francis Heart Center, explaining tests using IVL in mitral annular calcification (MAC).

Can IVL help cardiologists treat mitral valve disease?

Jaffar Khan, MD, explained his team's work using intravascular lithotripsy balloons in a cadaver heart to break up mitral annular calcification.

FTC challenges ‘anticompetitive’ TAVR acquisition

The FTC is working to stop Edwards Lifesciences from completing its acquisition of JenaValve. Edwards, however, is not backing down.

Structural Heart Disease

TAVR still a safe option for patients with nickel allergies

Why patient selection is so important when performing M-TEER

Advances in electrosurgical techniques have helped thousands of transcatheter valve patients

No sedation required: Local anesthesia enough for most TAVR patients

Abbott receives expanded approval for Navitor TAVR system