Iliofemoral Tortuosity Increases the Risk of Access-Site-Related Complications After Aortic Valve Implantation and Plug-Based Access-Site Closure.

Background: Access-site-related complications are often related to high-risk anatomy and technical pitfalls and impair the outcomes of transfemoral aortic valve implantations (TAVIs). Calcification and tortuosity are widely recognized risk factors, and their impact on procedural planning is left to the implanting experts' discretion. To facilitate decision-making, we introduced a quantitative measure for iliofemoral tortuosity and assessed its predictive value for access-site-related vascular and bleeding complications.

Better outcome at lower costs after implementing a CRT-care pathway: comprehensive evaluation of real-world data.

Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) requires intensive, complex, and multidisciplinary care for heart failure (HF) patients. Due to limitations in time, resources, and coordination of care, in current practice, this is often incomplete. We evaluated the effect of the introduction of a CRT-care pathway (CRT-CPW) on clinical outcome and costs.

Urgent transcatheter aortic valve implantation in an all-comer population: a single-centre experience.

Background: When compared with older reports of untreated symptomatic aortic valve stenosis (AoS), urgent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (u-TAVI) seems to improve mortality rates. We performed a single centre, retrospective cohort analysis to characterize our u-TAVI population and to identify potential predictors of worse outcomes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 631 consecutive TAVI patients between 2013 and 2018.

Development and implementation of a cardiac resynchronisation therapy care pathway: improved process and reduced resource use.

Background: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) requires intensive, complex and multidisciplinary care to maximize the clinical benefit. In current practice this is typically a task for highly specialised physicians. We report on a novel multidisciplinary, standardised CRT care pathway (CRT-CPW).