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.

Robotic mitral valve repair linked to benefits for elderly patients
Robotic and traditional mitral valve repair surgeries are mostly associated with similar outcomes when treating elderly patients. In some ways, however, robotic procedures may be preferred.
Vendor payments not responsible for rising popularity of LAAO procedures
Consulting fees and other vendor payments do not appear to be directly influencing U.S. physicians to implant more Watchman devices. Researcher Alexander Kolomaya, MD, discussed his team's findings on this topic.
Self-expanding TAVR valves deliver outcomes and durability comparable to surgery after 5 years
Michael Reardon, MD, detailed five-year data out of ACC.25 that found Medtronic's Evolut TAVR platform performs as well as SAVR—and even better in some ways.
Underweight TAVR patients face higher mortality risk—obesity makes no significant impact
Reviewing data from more than 6,000 patients, researchers found little evidence of the "obesity paradox" observed elsewhere. Underweight TAVR patients, however, may face some significant long-term risks.
SCAI pushes for better radiation protection in cath labs
Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions President James Hermiller, Jr., MD, explains SCAI's push for wider adoption of new, innovative cath lab radiation protection technology to reduce radiation exposure and the need for lead aprons.

Sentinel Boston Scientific PROTECTED TAVR stroke disabling stroke

TAVR embolic protection devices fail to reduce stroke risk, but some cardiologists—and a leading vendor—remain encouraged

The PROTECTED TAVR results presented at TCT 2022 resulted in a mix of reactions. For some cardiologists, the slight reduction in the risk of a disabling stroke after TAVR is a positive result. For others, it was simply not enough.

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted market clearance ion September 2022 for the Edwards Lifesciences Corp. Pascal Precision transcatheter valve repair system for transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). It is indicated for the treatment of patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR).

FDA clears Edwards Pascal device for transcatheter mitral valve repair

This is the second FDA-cleared transcatheter repair device for the mitral valve. Data from pivotal trial comparing Pascal vs. MitraClip will be presented at TCT 2022.

Examples of structural heart transcatheter valve replacement procedure planning CT scans and post procedure followup for TMVR and TAVR.

VIDEO: CT imaging for TAVR and TMVR structural heart interventions

Joao Cavalcante, MD, director, cardiac MRI and structural CT labs, Minneapolis Heart Institute, discusses the use of cardiac CT imaging to plan and guide structural heart procedures.

A structural heart Presentation during the TVT 2022 conference. #TCT #TCT22 #TCT2022

TCT 2022 late-breaking clinical presentations announced

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced the 32 late-breaking studies being presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2022 annual meeting at in Boston, Sept. 16-19.

Cardiac surgeons perform the world’s first partial heart transplant

“This procedure potentially solves the problem of a growing valve,” the lead surgeon said. “If we can eliminate the need for multiple open-heart surgeries every time a child outgrows an old valve, we could be extending the life of that child by potentially decades or more.”

HFpEF patients with MR may face a higher mortality risk—but not if they have AFib

There is an established connection between MR and HFrEF, but we know much less about the link between MR and HFpEF.

Interview with Rebecca T. Hahn, MD, Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Chief Scientific Officer of the Echo Core Lab at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and Director of Interventional Echocardiography at the Columbia Structural Heart and Valve Center. She discusses some of the trends of growing use of interventional echocardiographic guidance in transcatheter structural heart procedures, the growing number of tricuspid valve procedures, and use of 3D ICE.

VIDEO: Trends in structural heart procedural imaging - a discussion with Rebecca Hahn

Rebecca T. Hahn, MD, Director of Interventional Echocardiography at the Columbia Structural Heart and Valve Center, discusses some of the trends in the growing use of interventional echocardiographic guidance in transcatheter structural heart procedures.

FDA warns of a new malfunction risk with Abbott’s MitraClip devices

When these malfunctions occur, the FDA explained, it leads to an increased risk of additional interventions.

Structural Heart Disease

Robotic mitral valve repair linked to benefits for elderly patients

Vendor payments not responsible for rising popularity of LAAO procedures

Self-expanding TAVR valves deliver outcomes and durability comparable to surgery after 5 years

Underweight TAVR patients face higher mortality risk—obesity makes no significant impact

SCAI pushes for better radiation protection in cath labs