Real-World Management Strategies of Anticoagulated Atrial Fibrillation Patients After a Clinically Significant Bleeding Episode.

Background: Systemic anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) carries inherent bleeding risks, and determining whether and when to resume anticoagulation after significant bleeding is a common dilemma. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of AF patients discharged after a bleeding event, document real-life thromboembolic prevention strategy (TPS), and analyse their associated clinical outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of anticoagulated AF patients admitted for bleeding from 2017 to 2019.

Correlation between measured and predicted mismatch with valve hemodynamics in transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A sex-based analysis.

Background: Data regarding the reliability of predicted effective orifice area indexed (pEOAi) is scarce in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Aims: To assess the validity of the pEOAi in TAVR by correlating its value with echocardiography-derived hemodynamic data.

Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study of TAVR patients from 2012 to 2021 with available echocardiograms was conducted.

The Use of Three-Dimensional Printing in Cardiac Structural Disease: A Review.

Objective: Three-dimensional printing (3DP), or additive fabrication, is a process in which a physical 3D model is created using a multitude of 2-dimensional images. This process has been applied to numerous surgical subspecialties with growing interest for the use of 3DP in adult structural heart disease. This scoping review evaluates the use of 3DP in transcatheter and surgical aortic and mitral valve interventions as well as left atrial appendage occlusion in terms of its practical and clinical application.

Closing the door in front of a torrential mitral regurgitation.

Background: Treatment of symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) is challenging in patients who are not candidates for surgical intervention.

Case Description: We report the case of a 64-year-old female with multiple comorbidities who was found to have severe MR due to a large mitral valve non coaptation.

Conclusions: In this case report, we show the potential of transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using MitraClip for the treatment of torrential MR due to a large mitral valve non-coaptation in a patient with no prior history of coronary artery disease and in whom surgical intervention was not an option.

Mitral Valve Infective Endocarditis after Trans-Catheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Scarce data exist on mitral valve (MV) infective endocarditis (IE) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This multicenter study included a total of 579 patients with a diagnosis of definite IE after TAVI from the IE after TAVI International Registry and aimed to evaluate the incidence, characteristics, management, and outcomes of MV-IE after TAVI. A total of 86 patients (14.

Surgical Treatment of Patients With Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background: The optimal treatment of patients developing infective endocarditis (IE) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is uncertain.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with TAVI-IE treated with cardiac surgery and antibiotics (IE-CS) compared with patients treated with antibiotics alone (IE-AB).

Methods: Crude and inverse probability of treatment weighting analyses were applied for the treatment effect of cardiac surgery vs medical therapy on 1-year all-cause mortality in patients with definite TAVI-IE.

Perivalvular Extension of Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been associated with a dismal prognosis. However, scarce data exist on IE perivalvular extension (PEE) in such patients.

Methods: This multicenter study included 579 patients who had the diagnosis of definite IE at a median of 171 (53-421) days following TAVR.

Mixed-Valve Disease: Management of Patients with Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation: Thresholds for Surgery Versus Percutaneous Therapies.

Significant mitral regurgitation (MR), frequently seen in the presence of severe aortic stenosis (AS), results in an association that negatively affects prognosis and imposes particular challenges for both the assessment of the severity of valvular lesions and decisions regarding treatment allocation. This article reviews the available literature with regards to the assessment of MR and AS in the presence of both; surgical management and results in patients with concomitant AS and MR; the effect of MR on outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement; the effect of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on MR severity; and percutaneous treatment for MR after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. The authors aim to provide assistance in the decision-making process to treat patients with either a higher-risk double-valve procedure or a simpler, but perhaps incomplete, single-valve option.

Infective Endocarditis Caused by Staphylococcus aureus After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (SA) has been extensively studied as causative microorganism of surgical prosthetic-valve infective endocarditis (IE). However, scarce evidence exists on SA IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods: Data were obtained from the Infectious Endocarditis After TAVR International Registry, including patients with definite IE after TAVR from 59 centres in 11 countries.

Does "Obesity Paradox" Apply for Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement?

Background: Data is controversial regarding the existence of an "obesity paradox" in patients undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). We sought to investigate the prognostic value of the body mass index (BMI) on outcomes following TAVR.

Methods: This is an observational, single-center study involving all patients who underwent TAVR from 2009 to 2019.

Challenging Diagnosis of Patent Foramen Ovale in Presence of a Large Eustachian Valve.

We report the case of a 39-year-old woman who presented with cryptogenic stroke. Conventional and contrast echocardiography modalities noticed a large Eustachian valve (EV) but failed to identify any right-to-left shunt. Conversely, contrast-transcranial Doppler revealed a grade 3 right-to-left shunt.

Stroke Complicating Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Stroke is one of the most common and potentially disabling complications of infective endocarditis (IE). However, scarce data exist about stroke complicating IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with definite IE after TAVR complicated by stroke during index IE hospitalization.

Assessing the Accuracy of a Second-Generation Optical Sensor Pressure Wire in a Wire-to-Wire Comparison (The ACCURACY Study).

Background: The phenomenon of "pressure drift" increases uncertainty about the correct FFR value. Redesigned and incorporating an optical pressure sensor, the "OptoWire Deux™" is purported to be less prone to the pressure drift seen with piezoelectric coronary pressure wires. The aim of this first in vivo real-world clinical study is to evaluate the performance of OptoWire Deux™ in terms of measurements agreement and propensity to pressure drift in a wire to wire comparison.

Arrhythmic burden in patients with new-onset persistent left bundle branch block after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: 2-year results of the MARE study.

Aims: We determined the incidence and type of arrhythmias at 2-year follow-up in patients with new-onset persistent left bundle branch block (LBBB) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods And Results: Multicentre prospective study including 103 consecutive patients with new-onset persistent LBBB post-TAVR (SAPIEN XT/3: 53; CoreValve/Evolut R: 50). An implantable cardiac monitor (Reveal XT, Reveal Linq) was implanted before hospital discharge and patients had continuous monitoring for up to 2 years.

Successful Treatment of a Stenotic Pulmonary Vein to Left Atrium Conduit With a Drug-Eluting Stent.

Partial anomaly of the pulmonary venous return is a rare congenital condition treated with surgical redirection of the blood flow through the creation of a conduit to the left atrium. We report the case of a stenotic pulmonary vein to left atrium conduit successfully treated with the implantation of a drug-eluting stent. Pulmonary vein or conduit stenosis is generally treated with balloon dilation or bare-metal stent but is often met with underwhelming outcomes.