Catheter ablation for failed surgical maze: comparison of cut and sew vs. non-cut and sew maze.

Purpose: To compare findings in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation(AF) and/or atrial flutter(AFl) ablation after failed cut and sew (CS) vs. non-cut and sew (NCS) surgical maze.

Methods: We compared 10 patients with prior CS to 25 with prior NCS maze undergoing catheter ablation after failed maze.

Causes of death from the randomized CoreValve US Pivotal High-Risk Trial.

Objective: Explore causes and timing of death from the CoreValve US Pivotal High-Risk Trial.

Methods: An independent clinical events committee adjudicated causes of death, followed by post hoc hierarchical classification. Baseline characteristics, early outcomes, and causes of death were evaluated for 3 time periods (selected based on threshold of surgical 30-day mortality and on the differences in the continuous hazard between the 2 groups): early (0-30 days), recovery (31-120 days), and late (121-365 days).

Premeasured Chordal Loops for Mitral Valve Repair.

Premeasured expanded polytetrafluoroethylene chordal loops with integrated sutures for attachment to the papillary muscle and leaflet edges facilitate correction of mitral valve prolapse. Configured as a group of 3 loops (length range 12 to 24 mm), the loops are attached to a pledget that is passed through the papillary muscle and tied. Each of the loops has 2 sutures with attached needles; these needles are passed through the free edge of the leaflet and then the sutures are tied to each other, securing the chordal loop to the leaflet.

Health status after transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients at extreme surgical risk: results from the CoreValve U.S. trial.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize health status outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding bioprosthesis among patients at extreme surgical risk and to identify pre-procedural patient characteristics associated with a poor outcome.

Background: For many patients considering TAVR, improvement in quality of life may be of even greater importance than prolonged survival.

Methods: Patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who were considered to be at prohibitive risk for surgical aortic valve replacement were enrolled in the single-arm CoreValve U.