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 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure being performed at Intermountain Healthcare. Image from Intermountain Healthcare

AFib patients more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure or bleeding following TAVR

The study, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, included data from more than 900 TAVR patients. Overall morality was 22.7% among patients with AFib and 14.4% among patients without AFib.

Thumbnail

Tracking TAVR’s impact on gastrointestinal bleeding symptoms

TAVR patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) were linked to longer lengths of stay and a higher risk of acute kidney injury than patients without GIB.

Two examples of new left atrial appendage occluders (LAAO), the Conformal omn left and the Laminar on the right. evi Nair, MD, FACC, FHRS, director of cardiac electrophysiology at St. Bernard's Healthcare, Jonesboro, Arkansas, explains some of the recent advances in transcatheter left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion technology at the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Therapeutics (TVT) Structural Heart Summit. #TVT #TVT2020 #LAA #LAAO #EPeeps

VIDEO: Advances in left atrial appendage occlusion technology

Devi Nair, MD, director of cardiac electrophysiology at St. Bernard's Healthcare, Jonesboro, Arkansas, explains some of the recent advances in transcatheter left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion technology at the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Therapeutics (TVT) Structural Heart Summit.

The Boston Scientific Acurate neo2,. Abbott Portico and the new Edwards Sapien X4 TAVR valves were hot topics of discussion at TCT 2022. #TVT #TVT22 #TVT2022

VIDEO: TAVR's long-term impact on patient care

One thing was clear at TVT 2022 in Chicago: TAVR's popularity over surgery is changing the way physicians think about patient care. 

Thumbnail

Links to all the late-breaking structural heart studies at TVT 2022

Here are links to more information for all the late-breaking presentations at the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) Structural Heart Summit.

A TAVR procedure being performed at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. These structural heart procedures require a team approach.

VIDEO: How to build a structural heart program

Charles Davidson, MD, clinical chief of cardiology and medical director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern University, explains what hospitals need to consider when starting a new structural heart program. 

Thumbnail

What peridevice leaks after LAAO mean for patient health

The study's authors reviewed data from more than 50,000 patients, presenting their findings in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

Resheathing heart valves during TAVR does not increase risk of complications

Researchers tracked both short- and long-term outcomes, sharing their findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association.