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.

Radial secondary access during TAVR limits complications
Radial access is already the primary choice for many cardiologists performing PCI due to a lower risk of complications. The same appears to be true for secondary access during TAVR.
Medtronic’s Harmony TPVR system gains CE mark approval
The FDA-approved Harmony TPVR system is now available to patients across the EU. Nina Goodheart, president of Medtronic’s structural heart and aortic business, described the news as a "significant milestone."
The primary reason Boston Scientific’s TAVR valve fell short in clinical trial
Michael Reardon, MD, co-principal investigator of the ACURATE IDE trial, discussed updated data on what may have impacted that study's findings.
‘A victory for TAVR’: How treatment impacts elderly patients in their last year of life
New research out of Denmark explored how undergoing TAVR may or may not influence the final year of a patient's life.
Top cardiology video interviews in 2024
A list of the most popular video interviews on Cardiovascular Business in 2024 based on reader analytics.

Cardiothoracic surgeons perform UCSF's first robotic mitral valve surgery. A 3D camera allows surgeons to see the mitral valve and other structures inside the heart. Surgeons use a robotic surgical system to guide the robotic arms and movements of the surgical instruments.

Surgeons praise mobility, precision of robotically assisted mitral valve procedure

“Robotically assisted mitral valve surgery allows us to make even smaller incisions with greater precision,” one surgeon said. “By using the robotic arms, we have more degrees of articulation than with our natural wrists."

July 14, 2022

Mitral and_tricuspid transcatheter valves Evoque and Intrepid were discussed at TVT 2022.

VIDEO: Advances in transcatheter tricuspid and mitral valve technology

Anita W. Asgar, MD, director, transcatheter valve therapy research at Montréal Heart Institute, discusses advances and new technology for mitral and tricuspid valves at the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) meeting.

July 12, 2022

AI Eko smart stethoscope machine learning heart murmurs adult pediatric patients FDA clearance

FDA clears Eko’s latest AI model for heart murmurs

The algorithm works with Eko's smart stethoscopes to help physicians identify and diagnose structural heart murmurs.

July 12, 2022

Adam Greenbaum, MD, transcatheter electrosurgery to prevent left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction using a new procedure called Septal Scoring Along the Midline Endocardium (SESAME). The transcatheter procedure mimicking surgical myotomy.

VIDEO: Transcatheter myectomy to prevent LVOT obstruction in mitral valve replacement

Adam Greenbaum, MD, explains how transcatheter electrosurgery can be used to prevent left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction using a new procedure called Septal Scoring Along the Midline Endocardium (SESAME).

July 11, 2022

Patients can safely undergo noncardiac surgeries after TAVR without a long delay

However, the study’s authors did find associations between suboptimal TAVR procedures and adverse outcomes.

July 8, 2022

The Corvia Atrial Shunt is designed to address elevated left atrial pressure (LAP) heart failure patients.

VIDEO: Overview of intra-atrial shunts to treat heart failure

Cardiologist Peter Fail, MD, discusses the idea of using shunts to form a passage that enables the left atrium to decompress at rest and during physical activity. The goal is to lower left atrial pressure in heart failure patients.

July 7, 2022