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.

CMS proposes Medicare coverage for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement
Edwards Lifesciences sent a formal request to CMS in February after its Evoque TTVR device gained FDA approval. The agency is now accepting public comments for 30 days.
Hydra TAVR valve gains key approval as global reach continues to grow
The self-expanding device is now available in more than 20 countries and received CE mark approval back in 2020. However, it has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.
SAVR outperforms TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valves
BAV patients are often excluded from TAVR trials, creating uncertainty about the best way to treat that population when aortic valve replacement is required. To learn more, researchers tracked CMS data from 2018 to 2022, presenting their findings in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks
While the technology and techniques associated with TAVR have advanced over the years, treating patients who present with baseline atrial fibrillation is still associated with certain risks.
Heart surgeons detail world’s first robotic heart procedure of its kind
The care team behind the very first robotic aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery has written about the experience in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The group discussed the development of the technique, how the patient was chosen for treatment and other key details.

Two-Year Feasibility Study Results Encouraging with Medtronic Harmony(TM) Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve

DUBLIN and SAN DIEGO — April 26, 2018 — Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) today announced two-year outcomes for the Harmony(TM) Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV) from its early feasibility study. Presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 41st Annual Scientific Sessions, data from 18 patients followed out to two years revealed the Harmony TPV showed solid valve function and no paravalvular leak (PVL).

April 26, 2018

TMVR linked to high early mortality, persistent improvement among survivors

Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) is associated with high rates of mortality in patients with severe mitral annular calcification, but survivors show significant improvements in heart-related symptoms.

April 25, 2018

Researchers propose tweak to pulse oximetry testing for CHD

Modifying the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening algorithm to include one repeat pulse oximetry test instead of two could identify more infants with other serious diseases that require attention, according to a study published online April 24 in Pediatrics.

April 25, 2018

CHD patients have 8 times the risk of hemorrhagic stroke at young age

Children and young adults who were born with congenital heart disease (CHD) have an eight-fold risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) when compared to the general population, according to a Swedish study published online April 6 in Stroke. However, the absolute risk of hemorrhagic stroke remained low for both groups.

April 17, 2018

Viva la France: TAVR procedures soar, mortality rates dip between 2007-2015 in nationwide survey

A country-wide examination of data in France showed a marked increase in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, in addition to reduction in in-hospital mortality for all AVR subsets.

April 16, 2018

Severe mitral stenosis tied to worse outcomes post-TAVR

About 3 percent of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) also have severe mitral stenosis and are at a greater risk of long-term adverse events, researchers reported in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

April 9, 2018

TAVR better, cheaper than SAVR for patients with COPD

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was associated with lower in-hospital mortality and significantly fewer respiratory complications than surgery for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to study published April 1 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

April 4, 2018

FDA approves septal occluder for PFO closure to prevent recurrent stroke

Already approved for the purpose its name implies, the Gore Cardioform septal occluder has also received the FDA’s OK for patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure to prevent recurrent ischemic stroke.

April 3, 2018

Structural Heart Disease

CMS proposes Medicare coverage for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement

Hydra TAVR valve gains key approval as global reach continues to grow

SAVR outperforms TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valves

Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks

Heart surgeons detail world’s first robotic heart procedure of its kind