Since the first transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in 2002, the paradigm for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis has changed. In the recent past, medical therapy with or without balloon aortic valvuloplasty was the only option for inoperable patients but now, TAVI has become the treatment of choice for these patients and the preferred alternative for high-risk operable patients. Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) currently remains the gold standard for patients at low operative risk. As randomized trials have demonstrated comparable (or better results with TAVI) between TAVI and SAVR in the high-risk population, there is now a clear trend towards performing TAVI even in intermediate-risk. Nevertheless, there are still questions regarding TAVI involving paravalvular leak, stroke, pacemaker requirements, and durability, which remain to be more definitively answered before TAVI can routinely be performed in lower risk and younger population. Improvements in patient selection, multimodal imaging, and third generation devices have significantly decreased the incidence of TAVI complications. A role for post-procedure antithrombotic or anticoagulant management remains unanswered. Waiting for current studies to provide us with clear answers to these questions, it is the Heart Team's task to determine the optimal treatment for each patient based on risk scores, frailty metrics, comorbidities, patient's preference, and potential for improvement in quality of life.
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The zebrafish is a valuable model organism for studying cardiac development and diseases due to its many shared aspects of genetics and anatomy with humans and ease of experimental manipulations. Computational fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations are an efficient and highly controllable means to study the function of cardiac valves in development and diseases. Due to their small scales, little is known about the mechanical properties of zebrafish cardiac valves, limiting existing computational studies of zebrafish valves and their interaction with blood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnatol J Cardiol
January 2025
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Research, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA ; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lankenau Heart Institute, Main Line Health Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA.
Background: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (ViV TAVR) with newer-generation self-expanding Evolut valves according to the size of the failed surgical bioprosthesis.
Methods: This single-center retrospective study evaluated consecutive patients undergoing ViV TAVR with the Evolut Pro/Pro+/Fx between 2018 and 2022. These patients were compared based on the true internal diameter (ID) of the failed bioprosthesis, specifically ≤19 mm (small group) vs.
Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol
January 2025
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background: Electrocardiograms (EKGs) are routinely performed in pregnant patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. However, in pregnant patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), EKG changes during gestation have not been explored.
Methods: We performed a retrospective study of pregnant patients with CHD enrolled in the STORCC initiative.
Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Cases
January 2025
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama, 641-8509, Japan.
Patients with coronary artery disease undergoing trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) often receive TAVI alone. However, in cases of severe coronary lesions or anticipated difficulty in coronary access post-TAVI, percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting may be necessary. We performed simultaneous gastroepiploic artery to posterior descending artery bypass and TAVI in two patients with severe calcification of the right coronary artery ostium which is unsuitable for percutaneous intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiovasc Interv Ther
January 2025
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using the NAVITOR system has been relatively underreported due to its recent introduction in Japan. This study aimed to assess the short-term outcomes of TAVI with the NAVITOR in real-world clinical practice. Patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI using the NAVITOR system at our institution between December 2022 and December 2023 were prospectively enrolled.
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