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.

CMS proposes Medicare coverage for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement
Edwards Lifesciences sent a formal request to CMS in February after its Evoque TTVR device gained FDA approval. The agency is now accepting public comments for 30 days.
Hydra TAVR valve gains key approval as global reach continues to grow
The self-expanding device is now available in more than 20 countries and received CE mark approval back in 2020. However, it has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.
SAVR outperforms TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valves
BAV patients are often excluded from TAVR trials, creating uncertainty about the best way to treat that population when aortic valve replacement is required. To learn more, researchers tracked CMS data from 2018 to 2022, presenting their findings in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks
While the technology and techniques associated with TAVR have advanced over the years, treating patients who present with baseline atrial fibrillation is still associated with certain risks.
Heart surgeons detail world’s first robotic heart procedure of its kind
The care team behind the very first robotic aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery has written about the experience in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The group discussed the development of the technique, how the patient was chosen for treatment and other key details.

Transcarotid access: The future of non-femoral TAVR?

Research presented at TVT 2019 in Chicago last week suggests a transcarotid approach to transcatheter aortic valve replacement is favorable for patients unable to tolerate femoral access, topping both transapical and transaortic approaches as the preferable route for alternate-access TAVR.

June 15, 2019

Why the next TAVR vs. SAVR trial should be in bicuspid AS patients

Physicians are facing a new issue as TAVR expands to younger populations—an increased incidence of bicuspid aortic stenosis.

June 14, 2019

‘Our patients are worth it’: Tackling the undertreatment of aortic stenosis in the US

The undertreatment of aortic stenosis in the U.S. is severe, driven by deep-rooted racial and sex disparities and a disconnect between patients and their clinicians.

June 14, 2019

Valve-in-valve TAVR proves successful in the long-term

An analysis of PARTNER 2 data, published in the June edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) within failed bioprosthetic surgical aortic valves is a viable long-term solution for high-risk individuals, with patients seeing “excellent” functional and quality of life outcomes three years after the procedure.

June 7, 2019

TAVR outcomes worse in patients with end-stage renal disease

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) face higher risks of in-hospital mortality and bleeding with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) than patients who aren’t dialysis-dependent, researchers report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

June 5, 2019

COAPT: Patients with HF, mitral regurgitation see better health outcomes with TMVR

A recent analysis of the COAPT trial, published this spring in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) and secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) might see better mental and physical outcomes if they’re treated with edge-to-edge transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) in lieu of standard therapy.

May 30, 2019

Abbott’s tricuspid valve repair system finds success in TRILUMINATE study

Results from the TRILUMINATE study, presented this week at EuroPCR 2019 in Paris, suggest Abbott’s minimally invasive tricuspid valve repair system is an effective solution for patients with structural heart disease, reducing the severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in more than 85% of test cases.

May 21, 2019

Challenges of Infective Endocarditis: The Opioid Crisis Hits Home & Cardiologists Can’t Go It Alone

As rates of infective endocarditis among intravenous drug users skyrocket, cardiologists are finding that treating the heart condition without addressing the disease of addiction contributes to readmissions and mortality.

May 10, 2019

Structural Heart Disease

CMS proposes Medicare coverage for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement

Hydra TAVR valve gains key approval as global reach continues to grow

SAVR outperforms TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valves

Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks

Heart surgeons detail world’s first robotic heart procedure of its kind