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.

‘A compelling alternative’: Polymer heart valve receives first commercial approval of its kind
A new surgical mitral valve from Foldax will now be commercially available in India. The valve is built using LifePolymer, a proprietary material that does not include animal tissue.
TAVR specialists come together to explore new data, patient selection and much more
Care teams have a lot to consider when choosing the right treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Two cardiologists and a veteran cardiothoracic surgeon are taking part in a new webinar focused on that very topic.
Heart surgeons perform world’s first robotic TAVR explant and aortic valve replacement
The patient, 67, presented with a failing TAVR valve and a leaky mitral valve. She had undergone TAVR four years prior, but premature structural valve degeneration made a full replacement necessary. Surgeons ultimately removed the TAVR valve in addition to replacing her aortic and mitral valves—all with the help of advanced robotics.
Real-world data favor SAVR over TAVR when younger patients need aortic valve replacement
Researchers in Italy tracked data from more than 7,000 patients who underwent AVR between the ages of 65 and 80. TAVR was associated with a significantly higher long-term risk of mortality.
Heart patients benefit when cardiologists follow a standardized TAVR protocol
Using a standardized approach, including the cusp overlap technique, is associated with improved patient outcomes when implanting Medtronic's self-expanding TAVR valves. Researchers tracked data from more than 600 patients treated all over the world, presenting their findings in JSCAI.

Heart valve surgery linked to transient declines in cognitive function

Heart valve surgery patients, including those who undergo aortic and mitral interventions, are at risk of temporary cognitive decline for up to six months after their procedure, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society this week.

Mother’s education, insurance status impact Hispanic infants’ odds of surviving CHD

Socioeconomic factors—namely a mother’s insurance status and level of education—weigh heavily on Hispanic infants’ chances of surviving critical congenital heart disease (CHD) in their first year of life, a study out of the University of California, San Francisco suggests.

Trial halted amid safety concerns for rivaroxaban after TAVR

The GALILEO trial has been stopped after an early look at outcomes revealed rivaroxaban was associated with greater odds of thromboembolic events, all-cause death and bleeding events compared to antiplatelet therapy following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Study IDs predictors of mortality in asymptomatic aortic stenosis

Asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis are at greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality if they have higher peak aortic jet velocities or left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEFs) below 60 percent, researchers reported Oct. 3 in JAMA Cardiology.

Gender gap observed in early TAVI era closing

The considerable survival advantage observed in female patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) during the procedure’s earlier years has diminished in the contemporary TAVI era, according to research out of Petah Tikva, Israel, meaning men and women are seeing similar outcomes post-procedure.

TAVR, SAVR linked to equal survival in patients at intermediate surgical risk

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was easily the treatment of choice in German patients with severe stenosis at intermediate surgical risk from 2012 to 2014, according to a registry study, with both TAVR and surgical AVR (SAVR) carrying a 3.6 percent risk of in-hospital mortality.

Emergency department visits for CHD becoming safer but more costly

Emergency department visits for children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are getting more expensive over time but mortality rates are improving, according to an analysis of more than 420,000 CHD-related trips to the ED over a nine-year period.

Edwards Lifesciences' Philanthropy Exceeds Every Heartbeat Matters Goal To Impact One Million Underserved People Ahead Of Schedule

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2018 — Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, announced at a 60th anniversary educational event that the Every Heartbeat Matters initiative has exceeded the goal to impact the global burden of heart valve disease by supporting the education, screening and treatment of one million underserved people by 2020.

Structural Heart Disease

‘A compelling alternative’: Polymer heart valve receives first commercial approval of its kind

TAVR specialists come together to explore new data, patient selection and much more

Heart surgeons perform world’s first robotic TAVR explant and aortic valve replacement

Real-world data favor SAVR over TAVR when younger patients need aortic valve replacement

Heart patients benefit when cardiologists follow a standardized TAVR protocol