Publications by authors named "Christiane Haeffele"

Article Synopsis
  • An 85-year-old woman with severe mitral regurgitation and a history of heart issues underwent a transcatheter repair procedure but encountered a rare complication: interatrial septum dissection with bleeding into the pericardial space.
  • The medical team used an Amplatzer occluder device to address this complication, marking its first application for this issue in this context, and raised concerns about chronic steroid use as a potential risk factor.
  • The use of transoesophageal echocardiography was emphasized as crucial for identifying complications, and decisions regarding closure devices should consider individual patient risks versus conservative management options.
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Article Synopsis
  • Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) significantly impacts patients' health status, affecting their symptoms, physical and social functions, and overall quality of life, but may improve with a procedure called transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR).
  • The TRISCEND II trial studied 400 patients with severe TR, comparing outcomes of those receiving TTVR combined with optimal medical therapy (OMT) to those receiving OMT alone, using established health status questionnaires.
  • Results showed that patients receiving TTVR+OMT experienced significantly greater improvements in health status at every follow-up, with notable differences in scores indicating enhanced quality of life compared to those who only received
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Article Synopsis
  • A clinical trial was conducted with 400 patients suffering from severe tricuspid regurgitation, comparing outcomes between those who received transcatheter tricuspid-valve replacement alongside medical therapy and those who received medical therapy alone.
  • The primary outcome measured included death rates, hospitalizations due to heart failure, and improvements in quality of life and functional capacity, showing a significant advantage for the valve-replacement group.
  • After one year, the valve-replacement group demonstrated better overall health outcomes, although there was a higher incidence of severe bleeding compared to the control group.
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We present the case of an 82-year-old woman with persistent fatigue, exertional dyspnea, and dizziness related to a paravalvular leak following a self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Successful closure was performed using a steerable sheath to negotiate a vascular plug closure device through the self-expanding valve structure.

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Introduction: As the adult Fontan population with Fontan associated liver disease continues to increase, more patients are being referred for transplantation, including combined heart and liver transplantation.

Methods: We report updated mortality and morbidity outcomes after combined heart and liver transplant in a retrospective cohort series of 40 patients (age 14 to 49 years) with Fontan circulation across two centers from 2006-2022.

Results: The 30-day, 1-year, 5-year and 10-year survival rate was 90%, 80%, 73% and 73% respectively.

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Background: The CLASP IID randomized trial (Edwards PASCAL TrAnScatheter Valve RePair System Pivotal Clinical Trial) demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the PASCAL system for mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) in patients at prohibitive surgical risk with significant symptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR).

Objectives: This study describes the echocardiographic methods and outcomes from the CLASP IID trial and analyzes baseline variables associated with residual mitral regurgitation (MR) ≤1+.

Methods: An independent echocardiographic core laboratory assessed echocardiographic parameters based on American Society of Echocardiography guidelines focusing on MR mechanism, severity, and feasibility of M-TEER.

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We present the case of a 66-year-old woman who developed severe mitral regurgitation from rupture of the anterior mitral valve leaflet following percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Emergency transcatheter mitral valve repair was used to reduce the severity of mitral regurgitation and facilitate definitive surgical treatment. ().

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Background And Aims: For patients with symptomatic, severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), early results of transcatheter tricuspid valve (TV) intervention studies have shown significant improvements in functional status and quality of life associated with right-heart reverse remodelling. Longer-term follow-up is needed to confirm sustained improvements in these outcomes.

Methods: The prospective, single-arm, multicentre TRISCEND study enrolled 176 patients to evaluate the safety and performance of transcatheter TV replacement in patients with ≥moderate, symptomatic TR despite medical therapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • An increasing number of adult Fontan patients are needing heart or combined heart-liver transplants, but there is limited data on their outcomes and ideal referral timing.
  • This study analyzed 131 adult Fontan patients who underwent transplantation between 1995 and 2021, finding a 79% survival rate at one year and 66% at five years post-transplant, with improved outcomes noted in patients transplanted after 2010.
  • Late referrals and certain health indicators like poor functional status and specific vascular issues were linked to lower survival rates, highlighting the importance of timely evaluations.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the effects of Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) on post-transplant outcomes, specifically looking at heart transplant (HT) versus combined heart-liver transplant (CHLT) in adult Fontan patients.
  • - Results showed that CHLT patients were generally older and had higher FALD scores, but they exhibited better survival rates compared to HT, particularly in those with higher FALD scores.
  • - The research indicates a correlation between higher FALD scores and increased mortality post-transplant, suggesting that CHLT may offer improved survival outcomes for patients with significant liver disease.
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Background: With the advent of more intensive rhythm monitoring strategies, ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are increasingly detected in Fontan patients. However, the prognostic implications of VA are poorly understood. We assessed the incidence of VA in Fontan patients and the implications on transplant-free survival.

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Background: The use of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) in patients with advanced heart failure has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and increase survival. As patients with Fontan circulations grow older, a significant proportion of them will develop severe atrioventricular (AV) valve regurgitation in the systemic ventricle. Conventional surgical repair and transplant carry high mortality risk for the adult Fontan patient with progressive heart failure.

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Arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death remain common in repaired tetralogy of Fallot and affect even those with excellent anatomic repairs. Atrial arrhythmia often has mechanisms different from those in acquired heart disease. Ventricular arrhythmia remains a major source of mortality in repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

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Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects 41 million people worldwide, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, where it is co-endemic with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is also a chronic inflammatory disorder associated with cardiovascular complications, yet the epidemiology of patients affected by both diseases is poorly understood.

Methods: Utilizing the Uganda National RHD Registry, we described the echocardiographic findings, clinical characteristics, medication prescription rates, and outcomes of all 73 people carrying concurrent diagnoses of HIV and RHD between 2009 and 2018.

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We report a case of COVID-19 in an adult single-ventricle patient post-Fontan-to our knowledge, the first report in this population documenting the use of the latest management recommendations for this novel disease. Additionally, this patient had significant pre-existing ventricular dysfunction, valvular disease, and comorbidities including HIV. ().

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Background: Indications for a heart‒liver transplantation (HLT) for Fontan recipients are not well defined. We compared listing characteristics, post-operative complications, and post-transplant outcomes of Fontan recipients who underwent HLT with those of patients who underwent heart-only transplantation (HT). We hypothesized that patients who underwent HLT have increased post-operative complications but superior survival outcomes compared with patients who underwent HT.

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The accuracy of liver biopsy to stage fibrosis due to Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) remains unclear. We compared the results of biopsy pre-combined heart and liver transplantation (CHLT) to the results of whole liver explant. Liver biopsy and explants from 15 Fontan patients (ages 16-49, median 28 years) were retrospectively reviewed.

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A 36-year-old female underwent left lower lobectomy with left atrial and left upper pulmonary vein (LUPV) reconstruction with a bovine pericardial patch for an intrathoracic pheochromocytoma. Postoperatively, she developed shortness of breath and transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated LUPV stenosis with increased velocities. Computed tomography angiogram of the chest revealed LUPV stenosis at the left atrium ostium with an area of 39 mm.

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