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.

Hospital discharge with oral antibiotics safe for stable endocarditis

Patients hospitalized with endocarditis can be safely switched from intravenous antibiotics to oral medication about halfway through the course of treatment, according to a randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients with new-onset AFib at greatest risk for complications after TAVR

Cardiac patients who develop new-onset atrial fibrillation (AFib) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are at a higher risk for complications like stroke, myocardial infarction and death than those whose AFib was established before the procedure, researchers report in the current online issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Cardiac surgery offers no benefit over antibiotics alone in TAVR patients with infective endocarditis

Cardiac surgery doesn’t offer any benefit over medical treatment with antibiotics in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients who have infective endocarditis (IE), researchers reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association this month.

Ross procedure boosts survival for younger valve replacement candidates

Despite its relative rarity in clinical practice, the Ross procedure provides a survival benefit over mechanical aortic valve replacement in young and middle-aged patients, suggests a meta-analysis published in JAMA Cardiology and presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich.

Article highlights achievements of pediatric cardiology pioneer Helen Taussig

Investor’s Business Daily published a profile of Johns Hopkins physician Helen Brooke Taussig, MD, who overcame an initial rejection to medical school due to gender discrimination and went on to create the field of pediatric cardiology.

Better guidelines, care needed for rising ACHD-related heart failure hospitalizations

Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD)-related heart failure (HF) hospitalizations have increased in recent years and are associated with disproportionately higher costs, procedural burden and health resource use, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Study: PBMV holds up over long term follow-up

More than three-fourths of patients who received percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) at a center in Brazil maintained procedural benefit over a median follow-up of 8.3 years, researchers reported in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

CMS advisory panel divided on TAVR volume thresholds

CMS’s advisory committee appears to be split on whether procedural volume requirements should be required for centers to begin and maintain transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) programs.

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