Structural Challenges in Native Atrioventricular Valves Replacement.

Atrioventricular (AV) valve disease is a major burden in our Indian subcontinent, where rheumatic heart disease is still prevalent, when compared to the Western world, where degenerative heart disease is more prevalent. Worldwide, nearly 300,000 valve replacements are done every year but not without complications. These challenges can be multidimensional and multiscalar with the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the native patient tissue interacting with the mechanical and bioprosthetic heart valves and rings.

Three-year outcomes of surgical valve replacement with Dafodil™ pericardial bioprosthesis: Dafodil™-1 trial.

Background: The Dafodil™-1 trial was designed to evaluate the clinical safety and performance of Dafodil™ pericardial bioprosthesis for replacing diseased native or prosthetic aortic or mitral valves in patients with advanced valvular heart disease (VHD).

Methods: The Dafodil™-1 trial was a prospective, multicenter, first-in-human clinical trial. Patients were enrolled if they had advanced VHD requiring aortic valve replacement (AVR) or mitral valve replacement (MVR) with or without concomitant valve surgery and having surgical risk scores <4%.

Heterotopic heart transplant: relevance as Bio-VAD in emerging economies.

Despite the introduction of mechanical circulatory assist systems in India two decades ago, there has not been their wide usage due to two main reasons: (1) economic-financial unaffordability and (2) lack of social support. There have been a number of significant steps taken by the government and by the media for augmenting awareness for organ donation. A sizeable donor pool in India falls into the category of marginal donors, due to a variety of reasons like geographical distances, lack of rapid transport, suboptimal donor management due to the lack of resources, and trained manpower in hospitals where donor harvest is done.