Publications by authors named "A Zajarias"
Background: Several transcatheter tricuspid valve (TV) repair devices for tricuspid regurgitation (TR) have emerged. However, few studies have compared transcatheter TV repair with medical therapy (MT) alone or isolated TV surgery.
Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched in February 2024.
Article Synopsis
- The study compares two treatment methods for patients with tricuspid regurgitation: tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) and surgical tricuspid valve repair, focusing on outcomes like two-year all-cause mortality and other complications.
- Analysis was conducted on 1,143 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 to 99, revealing no significant difference in two-year mortality rates between the two treatments, but noted a rise in T-TEER procedures over the years.
- T-TEER showed lower in-hospital mortality and fewer cases requiring pacemaker implantation, but more tricuspid valve reinterventions were needed compared to surgical repair, indicating a need for further research on treatment selection and timing
Objective: Use of the Heart Team has been the standard of care for the treatment of aortic valve disease; however, its efficacy has not been evaluated. We sought to analyze its impact using the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) use ratio (number of TAVR/total aortic valve replacement [AVR] volume) on TAVR, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), and overall AVR outcomes.
Methods: We analyzed all TAVRs and SAVRs sampled by the National Readmissions Database between 2016 and 2020.
Article Synopsis
- Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve replacement is a less invasive option for high-risk patients with failed bioprosthetic mitral valves, and this study focuses on its outcomes in intermediate-risk patients.
- A total of 50 patients, mostly around 70 years old, were treated using a balloon-expandable valve, and results showed no deaths or strokes within one year post-procedure.
- The procedure led to significant improvement in patients' symptoms and quality of life, with most experiencing low levels of mitral regurgitation and overall better heart function after one year.
Article Synopsis
- Frailty linked to worse outcomes post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and is often underpinned by sarcopenia, which includes muscle mass, strength, and performance, though their impact on TAVR outcomes hasn't been fully studied.
- In a study of 445 patients with severe aortic stenosis, significant percentages were found to have slow gait (56%), weak grip (59%), and low muscle mass (42%); only slower gait speed showed a clear link to increased mortality after TAVR.
- The research indicates that while overall body fat measurements and sarcopenia criteria influence mortality risk, lower visceral fat and slow gait speed are main factors affecting post-TAVR death rates.