Treating Aortic Valve Stenosis for Vitality Improvement: The TAVI Study.

Background: Degenerative aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease among the elderly. Once cardiac symptoms occur, current guidelines recommend aortic valve replacement. Progressive degeneration/calcification reduces leaflet mobility with gradual cardiac output (CO) impairment.

Assessing the feasibility of using the antecubital vein to perform right heart catheterization in children and adults with congenital heart disease: a retrospective, observational single-center study.

Background: Right heart catheterization (RHC) usually is performed via the femoral vein or the internal jugular vein. However, the antecubital fossa vein is a valid venous access, and it has become increasingly popular to perform right heart catheterization utilizing this access.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted to describe use of the antecubital fossa vein for right heart catheterization in adults and children with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Predicting major events in ambulatory patients with advanced heart failure awaiting heart transplantation: a pilot study.

Aims: In heart failure (HF), prognostic risk scores focus on all-cause mortality prediction. However, in advanced HF (AdHF) ambulatory patients awaiting heart transplantation (HTx), hospitalizations for acutely decompensated/worsening HF are relevant to clinical decision-making, but unpredicted by common risk functions.

Methods: Among consecutive ambulatory patients added to the waitlist for HTx, event discriminators within 2 years from recruitment were assessed prospectively by area under the curve from receiver-operating characteristic curves, and by Cox proportional hazards models.

Novel echocardiographic score to predict duct-dependency after percutaneous relief of critical pulmonary valve stenosis/atresia.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify clinical, hemodynamic, or echocardiographic predictive features of persistent duct-dependency of pulmonary circulation (PDDPC) after effective percutaneous relief of pulmonary atresia with the intact ventricular septum (PA-IVS) or critical pulmonary stenosis (CPS).

Methods: From 2010 to 2021, 55 neonates with PA-IVS or CPS underwent percutaneous right ventricle (RV) decompression at our Institution. After successfully relief of critical obstruction, 27 patients (group I) showed PDDPC, whereas RV was able to support the pulmonary circulation in the remaining 28 patients (group II).

Asymptomatic Stroke in the Setting of Percutaneous Non-Coronary Intervention Procedures.

Advancements in clinical management, pharmacological therapy and interventional procedures have strongly improved the survival rate for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Nevertheless, the patients affected by CVDs are more often elderly and present several comorbidities such as atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, heart failure, and chronic coronary syndrome. Standard treatments are frequently not available for "frail patients", in particular due to high surgical risk or drug interaction.

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: An Emerging Option in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation at High Risk of Bleeding.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia with an estimated prevalence of 1% in the general population. It is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, silent cerebral ischemia, and cognitive impairment. Due to the blood flow stasis and morphology, thrombus formation occurs mainly in the left atrial appendage (LAA), particularly in the setting of nonvalvular AF (NVAF).

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: The New Challenges of Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an increasingly widespread percutaneous intervention of aortic valve replacement (AVR). The target population for TAVI is mainly composed of elderly, frail patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), multiple comorbidities, and high perioperative mortality risk for surgical AVR (sAVR). These vulnerable patients could benefit from cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs after percutaneous intervention.

Trans-catheter closure of a rare cause of pre-tricuspid left-to-right shunt: A "double" levoatriocardinal vein without left heart obstructive lesions.

The levoatriocardinal vein is a rare vascular anomalous connection between the left atrium and the superior vena cava (or left innominate vein). This defect is usually associated with left heart obstructive lesions, while it is rarely found in an isolated form. In the former case, the anomalous connection causes a pre-tricuspid left-to-right shunt with right-heart volume overload.

A rare cause of massive hemoptysis in a child: Bronchial Dieulafoy's disease - the first report of transcatheter treatment in pediatric age.

We report a case of bronchial Dieulafoy's disease in the pediatric age. Angio-computed tomography scan and arteriography addressed us to diagnosis. Bronchial endoscopy with biopsy was avoided due to the high risk of developing a life-threatening hemorrhage.

[Prevention and management of paravalvular leak post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation].

During transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) the native valve is not removed but crushed. Thus, a slight prosthesis insufficiency is not uncommon and has been reported up to 25% of patients for both available types of percutaneous valves. However, the definition of "clinically significant" valve regurgitation is not fully established yet.

First Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Evidence of Transcatheter Pacing System Migration and Embolization into the Pulmonary Vasculature.

Transcatheter leadless pacemaker dislodgment is a rare and potentially fatal complication of leadless device implantation. We present the first case of multidetector computed tomography images of leadless pacemaker migration and embolization in the pulmonary middle lobe artery. The patient was managed by percutaneous retrieval of the dislodged device and re-implantation in the appropriate position.

First Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Evidence of Transcatheter Pacing System Migration and Embolization into the Pulmonary Vasculature.

Transcatheter leadless pacemaker dislodgment is a rare and potentially fatal complication of leadless device implantation. We present the first case of multidetector computed tomography images of leadless pacemaker migration and embolization in the pulmonary middle lobe artery. The patient was managed by percutaneous retrieval of the dislodged device and re-implantation in the appropriate position.

Predictive Value of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation for Left Ventricular Remodeling in Patients With Classical Low-Flow, Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an alternative treatment in surgically intermediate- or high-risk patients with classical low-flow, low-gradient (LFLG) aortic stenosis (AS). The objective of this study was to investigate whether two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) can predict left ventricular (LV) flow reserve during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and remodeling after TAVR in patients with LFLG AS.

Methods: Seventy-five symptomatic patients with severe LFLG AS were recruited (mean age, 77.

Safety and feasibility of balloon aortic valvuloplasty in non-TAVI centers: The "BAV for life" experience.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and the feasibility of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) procedure made by trained operators in centers not performing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Background: BAV is a valuable therapeutic tool for patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) at prohibitive risk for TAVI or surgery.

Methods: Consecutive high-risk AS patients underwent BAV in five non-TAVI centers, where BAV operators had completed a 6-month training period in high-volume TAVI centers (Group A).

[SICI-GISE commuNity CAmpania survey doNna TAVI (INCANTA): perioperative and short-term outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in women].

Background: Nowadays the prognostic role of gender as a relevant factor after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still unfair, since available data in the literature are few and uneven. The aim of this survey was to collect acute and 30-day safety and efficacy clinical data in high- and intermediate-risk women, who underwent TAVI with new-generation devices, in the Campania Region.

Methods: All medium and high-volume TAVI centers in Campania have been invited to fulfill an online, ad-hoc questionnaire, collecting pre-, peri- and post-procedural data concerning female patients, treated between January and December 2016.

Von Willebrand Factor as a Novel Player in Valvular Heart Disease: From Bench to Valve Replacement.

von Willebrand Factor (vWF) is a well-known mediator of hemostasis and vascular inflammation. Its dynamic modulation in the bloodstream, according to hemodynamic conditions, makes it an appealing biomarker in patients with valvular heart disease (VHD). Recent studies highlight the close connection between vWF and VHD, with possible implications in the pathogenesis of VHD, promoting valve aging and calcification or favoring the development of infective endocarditis.

[Percutaneous treatment of complex post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal defect: case report and literature review].

Post-myocardial infarction (MI) ventricular septal defects (VSD) are a rare but life-threatening complication of acute MI, with very high mortality rates even if timely approached by surgical repair. Transcatheter closure is an attractive alternative to surgery. However, this option is currently deemed challenging and often unsuitable in complex VSD.

From Femoral to Radial Approach in Coronary Intervention.

Since the first cardiac catheterization in 1929, this procedure has evolved considerably. Historically performed via the transfemoral access, in the last years, the transradial access has been spreading gradually due to its many advantages. We have conducted a review of published literature concerning efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness, and we analyzed our patients' data, including the results of the recently published Minimizing Adverse hemorrhagic events by TRansradial access site and systemic implementation of angioX (MATRIX) study.