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.

New patient-specific heart models could change how cardiologists make treatment decisions

The 3D-printed models are soft, flexible and can mimic the way a patient's heart may respond to different interventions. 

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How CAD, PCI affect TAVR outcomes among men and women

According to new research published in the American Journal of Cardiology, complex CAD appears to affect long-term TAVR outcomes much more for women than it does for men.   

a 3D intracardiac echo (ICE) view of a surgical mitral valve using the GE NuVision ICE system.

Can intracardiac echo replace TEE during structural heart procedures?

TEE has been used to guide most transcatheter structural heart cases over the past decade, but 3D ICE is changing how some centers image those patients. 

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A busy week for cardiology investments: 3 tech companies report big financing rounds

It’s not even Valentine’s Day yet, but February has already been a big month for fundraising in the cardiology space.

Balloon expansion deployment of an Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) device.

New Jersey hospital performs 4,000th TAVR procedure

Morristown Medical Center first started performing TAVR procedures in 2011 and is now home to one of the largest TAVR programs in the United States. 

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Greater access to TAVR linked to better patient outcomes

How does access to care influence short-term TAVR outcomes? Researchers explored data from nearly 22,000 patients to find out. 

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Comprehensive heart teams are rewriting the rules of patient care

Multidisciplinary heart teams are growing more and more popular among hospitals and health systems all over the world. What started as a way to select TAVR patients has become something much more important. 

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

TAVR and PAD: What cardiologists need to know

TAVR patients presenting with peripheral artery disease face significantly higher in-hospital risks, according to a new study published in Current Problems in Cardiology