Femoral or Radial Secondary Access in TAVR: A Subanalysis From the Multicenter PULSE Registry.

Background: Transradial secondary access (TR-SA) may serve as an alternative to the traditional femoral secondary access (TF-SA) for pigtail placement in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of secondary access-related vascular complications after TR-SA or TF-SA in TAVR.

Methods: The PULSE (Plug or sUture based vascuLar cloSurE after TAVR) registry retrospectively evaluated data of 10,120 patients who underwent transfemoral TAVR at 10 heart centers from 2016 to 2021.

Procoagulant platelet activation promotes venous thrombosis.

Platelets are key players in cardiovascular disease, and platelet aggregation represents a central pharmacologic target, particularly in secondary prevention. However, inhibition of adenosine diphosphate and thromboxane signaling has low efficacy in preventing venous thromboembolism, necessitating the inhibition of the plasmatic coagulation cascade in this disease entity. Anticoagulation carries a significantly higher risk of bleeding complications, highlighting the need of alternative therapeutic approaches.

Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in Patients Suffering Cardiogenic Shock.

Objectives: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is associated with high mortality. Patients treated for CS mostly require heparin therapy, which may be associated with complications such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). HIT represents a serious condition associated with platelet decline and increased hypercoagulability and remains a poorly researched field in intensive care medicine.

The association of off-hour vs. on-hour intensive care unit admission time with mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock: a retrospective multi-centre analysis.

Aims: Studies have shown a so-called off-hour effect for many different diseases, but data are scarce concerning cardiogenic shock. We therefore assessed the association of off-hour vs. on-hour intensive care unit admission with 30-day mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock.

Vascular Access in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease Undergoing TAVR: The Hostile Registry.

Background: The optimal access route in patients with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains undetermined.

Objectives: This study sought to compare clinical outcomes with transfemoral access (TFA), transthoracic access (TTA), and nonthoracic transalternative access (TAA) in TAVR patients with severe PAD.

Methods: Patients with PAD and hostile femoral access (TFA impossible, or possible only after percutaneous treatment) undergoing TAVR at 28 international centers were included in this registry.

Indocyanine green clearance predicts outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter valve intervention for severe atrio-ventricular valve regurgitation.

Objectives: Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) aggravate haemodynamic stress leading to congestive heart failure with impaired hepatic function, also known as cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS). Current perioperative risk calculators do not sufficiently consider CHS and serum liver function parameters lack sensitivity to diagnose CHS. Indocyanine green and its elimination (measured by the LIMON® test) represent a dynamic and non-invasive test which correlates with the hepatic function.

Dual ProGlide versus ProGlide and FemoSeal for vascular access haemostasis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Large-bore arteriotomy for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) requires percutaneous vascular closure devices, but real-world data comparing different closure strategies are limited.

Aims: We sought to compare a dual ProGlide strategy vs a combination of one ProGlide and one FemoSeal for vascular closure after TAVI.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 874 propensity score-matched patients undergoing TAVI at the Munich University Hospital from August 2018 to October 2020.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with the Self-Expandable Core Valve Evolut Prosthesis Using the Cusp-Overlap vs. Tricusp-View.

Despite the rapid increase in experience and technological improvement, the incidence of conduction disturbances in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the self-expandable CoreValve Evolut valve remains high. Recently, a cusp-overlap view (COP) implantation technique has been proposed for TAVR with self-expandable valves offering an improved visualization during valve expansion compared to the three-cusp view (TCV). This study aims to systematically analyze procedural outcomes of TAVR patients treated with the CoreValve Evolut valve using a COP compared to TCV in a high-volume center.

Comparison of Bruch's Membrane Opening Minimum Rim Width and Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Early Glaucoma Assessment.

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic value of Bruch's membrane opening minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) in patients with ocular hypertension, preperimetric, and perimetric glaucoma.

Methods: One hundred eighty-one eyes consisting of 40 healthy controls, 41 ocular hypertensive subjects, 50 subjects with preperimetric glaucoma and 50 with perimetric glaucoma were included. One randomly selected eye was included.