Persistent reduction of mitral regurgitation by implantation of a transannular mitral bridge: durability and effectiveness of the repair at 2 years-results of a prospective trial†.

Objectives: Ring annuloplasty reduces the septal-lateral diameter (SLD) indirectly by circumferential annular cinching and frequently results in the recurrence of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with functional MR (FMR). Our goal was to report the results from the trial and the 2-year post-trial surveillance data. We evaluated whether direct reduction of the SLD with a transannular mitral bridge could achieve significant and durable MR reduction in patients with FMR.

[Antithrombotic therapy after heart valve surgery--current evidence and future trends].

Degenerative valve disease is a growing problem because of the rising amount of degenerative heart valve disease and valve replacement operations among the elderly. More than 300,000 prosthetic heart valve replacements are performed each year worldwide and this rate is projected to increase to as many as 850,000 per year by 2050. There is a higher risk of thomboembolic events following heart valve surgery; and anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapies are necessary.