Experimental assessment of the performance of artificial intelligence in solving multiple-choice board exams in cardiology.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of various artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots (commercially available in Switzerland up to June 2023) in solving a theoretical cardiology board exam and to compare their accuracy with that of human cardiology fellows.

Methods: For the study, a set of 88 multiple-choice cardiology exam questions was used. The participating cardiology fellows and selected chatbots were presented with these questions.

Technical and Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair of Mitral Regurgitation in Male and Female Patients: Is Equality Achieved?

Background: Currently, no clear impact of sex on short- and long-term survival following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) is evident, although no data are available on postprocedural life expectancy. Our aim was to assess sex-specific differences in outcomes of patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) treated by TEER.

Methods And Results: Short-term and 5-year outcomes in men and women undergoing TEER between 2011 and 2018 who were included in the large, multicenter, real-world MitraSwiss registry were analyzed.

Multimodality imaging of eosinophilic myocarditis (loeffler's endocarditis) in a patient with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Eosinophilic myocarditis can result in endomyocardial fibrosis affecting both ventricles, leading to restrictive cardiomyopathy. Multimodality imaging is crucial for diagnosis, as demonstrated in this case of a patient presenting with symptoms of heart failure.

Restoration of Life Expectancy After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair.

Background: Survival data after mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) are scarce, and its impact on predicted life expectancy is unknown.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of TEER on postprocedural life expectancy among patients enrolled in the MitraSwiss registry through a relative survival (RS) analysis.

Methods: Consecutive TEER patients 60 to 89 years of age enrolled between 2011 and 2018 (N = 1140) were evaluated.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With Balloon-Expandable Valve Prostheses in Patients With Pure Native Non- or Mildly Calcified Aortic Regurgitation: A Case-Series and Literature Review.

Objective: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an off-label procedure for selected patients at high surgical risk with native non- or mildly calcified aortic regurgitation (AR). Traditionally, self-expanding transcatheter heart valves (THV) have been favored over balloon-expandable THV's probably due to assumed better device fixation. We report a series of patients with native severe AR successfully treated with a balloon-expandable THV.

Heart rate profiles and heart rate variability during scuba diving.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to describe heart rate profiles and heart rate variability patterns in non-selected scuba divers of different ages under non-experimental real-world conditions.

Methods: We used specially designed silver-loaded polydimethylsiloxane dry electrodes for underwater ECG recordings. With a custom-built setup, heart rate profiles and heart rate variability patterns were documented before submersion, during diving and after resurfacing in 18 separate dives.

Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Repair: A Promising Treatment for Heart Transplant Patients With Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Two heart transplant patients aged 80 and 83 years with recurrent heart failure due to severe tricuspid regurgitation are reported. In view of their high perioperative risk, both patients underwent percutaneous transcatheter edge-to-edge tricuspid valve repair, and both experienced excellent technical success, with favorable 2-year clinical outcome. ().

Surgical versus transcatheter repair for secondary mitral regurgitation: A propensity score-matched cohorts comparison.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and clinical outcomes of transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TMVr) and surgical mitral valve repair (SMVr) among patients with secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR).

Methods: Consecutive patients with SMR treated using either TMVr (n = 199) or SMVr (n = 222) at 2 centers were included and retrospectively analyzed. To account for differences in patient demographic characteristics, 1:1 propensity score matching was performed.

Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair for Treatment of Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a frequent disease with a progressive increase in mortality as disease severity increases. Transcatheter therapies for treatment of TR may offer a safe and effective alternative to surgery in this high-risk population.

Objectives: The purpose of this report was to study the 1-year outcomes with the TriClip transcatheter tricuspid valve repair system, including repair durability, clinical benefit and safety.

Heart team approach in treatment of mitral regurgitation: patient selection and outcome.

Objective: A multidisciplinary heart valve team is recommended for the evaluation of treatment in patients with valvular heart disease, but evidence supporting this concept is lacking. In patients with severe mitral regurgitation, we thought to analyse the patient selection process by the heart team for different treatment options and the outcome after treatment.

Methods: In this single-centre cohort study, all patients treated for mitral regurgitation between July 2013 and September 2018 were included.

Specialist advice may improve patient selection for decompression therapy following diving accidents: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Even in a landlocked country like Switzerland recreational diving is becoming more and more popular. Smaller lakes in the Alps are located at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level. The incidence of diving accidents among all helicopter emergency service missions and the consecutive medical knowledge about decompression injuries is low.

Accuracy of smartphone apps for heart rate measurement.

Background Smartphone manufacturers offer mobile health monitoring technology to their customers, including apps using the built-in camera for heart rate assessment. This study aimed to test the diagnostic accuracy of such heart rate measuring apps in clinical practice. Methods The feasibility and accuracy of measuring heart rate was tested on four commercially available apps using both iPhone 4 and iPhone 5.

Effective orifice area and hemodynamic performance of the transcatheter Edwards Sapien 3 prosthesis: short-term and 1-year follow-up.

Aims: The Edwards Sapien 3 heart valve prosthesis (S3) is commonly used for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and is available in three sizes. To date no data has been published on the effective orifice area (EOA) and the hemodynamic performance of the three different S3 sizes. The aim of this study was to measure the size-specific EOA and hemodynamic performance of the S3 in short-term and 1-year follow-up.

Lack of Accessible Data on Prosthetic Heart Valves.

Incomplete information on characteristics of prosthetic heart valves (PHV) may lead to inappropriate choices for PHV implantation (patient-prosthesis-mismatch) or erroneous interpretation of PHV function after implantation. No single and easy accessible source provides all relevant information on PHV. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of available data for the majority of PHVs and annuloplasty rings.

Hybrid Imaging During Transcatheter Structural Heart Interventions.

Fusion of different imaging modalities has gained increasing popularity over the last decade. However, most fusions are done between static rather than dynamic images. In order to adequately visualize the complex three-dimensional structures of the beating heart, high-temporal and spatial image resolutions are mandatory.