The emerging challenge of endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: time for innovative treatment approaches.

SUMMARYInfective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening infection that has nearly doubled in prevalence over the last two decades due to the increase in implantable cardiac devices. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently one of the most common cardiac procedures. TAVI usage continues to exponentially rise, inevitability increasing TAVI-IE.

Out-of-Pocket Expenditure and Challenges Faced by Patients Undergoing Heart Valve Replacement in Follow-Up Care at a Tertiary Care Center in South India: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background Heart valve replacement surgery is one of the most commonly performed cardiac surgeries in India. Post-surgery, the patient requires lifetime anticoagulation therapy with regular follow-up, leading to financial and nonfinancial burdens for the patients. This study aimed to determine the out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure (OOPE) for follow-up visits to the heart valve clinic and explore and assess the challenges faced by patients during these follow-ups.

Unveiling the reliability of left atrial strain measurement: a dedicated speckle tracking software perspective in controls and cases.

Aims: Speckle tracking echocardiography increasingly supports left atrial (LA) strain (LAS) analysis for diagnosis and prognosis of various clinical conditions. Prior limitations, such as the absence of dedicated software, have been overcome by validated ventricular-based software. A newly automated real-time and offline LA-specific software have now become available on echocardiographs and dedicated workstations.

Recent advancements in polymeric heart valves: From basic research to clinical trials.

Valvular heart diseases (VHDs) have become one of the most prevalent heart diseases worldwide, and prosthetic valve replacement is one of the effective treatments. With the fast development of minimal invasive technology, transcatheter valves replacement has been exploring in recent years, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technology. In addition, basic research on prosthetic valves has begun to shift from traditional mechanical valves and biological valves to the development of polymeric heart valves.

Recurrence of valvular involvement in Libman-Sacks endocarditis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: Recurrence of valvular involvement may occur after Libman-Sacks endocarditis surgery, emphasizing the need for frequent multivalvular evaluations with echocardiography or more sensitive methods to optimize surgical outcomes.

Abstract: This report presented a 32-year-old woman, complaining of recurrent fever and chills. Physical examination revealed the presence of a third heart sound (S), a pan-systolic murmur (III/VI) at mitral and tricuspid foci, tachycardia, and fine pulmonary crackles.

Ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis - A prospective cohort study.

Background: While surgery still remains the gold standard treatment for mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis (MPVT) by many guidelines, the ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic regimen has been reported as a promising alternative.

Methods: In this prospective single-center cohort, patients with acute MPVT were treated with an ultraslow low-dose thrombolytic regimen consisting of 25 mg infusion of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA) over 25 h. The regimen could be repeated in case of failure until resolution/occurrence of adverse events or a maximum cumulative dose of 150 mg.

Rupture of a calcified right ventricle to pulmonary artery homograft by balloon dilation- emergency rescue by venus P-Valve.

Background: Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is a recognized alternative treatment to surgery for patients with dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tracts. Patient selection is essential to avoid serious complications from attempted treatment, such as rupture or dissection, especially of the calcified outflow tracts. We describe a case with an unexpected rupture of a calcified homograft valve and main pulmonary artery, which was treated successfully by emergency implantation of a self-expanding Venus P-Valve (Venus MedTech, Hangzhou, China) without the need for pre-stenting with a covered stent.

Bi-National Outcomes of Redo Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in the Era of Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve.

Background: Implantation of bioprosthetic valves is more common as the population ages and there is a shift towards implanting bioprosthetic aortic valves in an increasingly younger surgical population. Bioprosthetic heart valve insertion, however, carries the long-term risk of valve failure through structural valve degeneration. Re-operative surgical aortic valve replacement has historically been the only definitive management option for patients with prosthetic valve dysfunction, however, data on the short- and long-term outcomes following re-operative surgery in Australia and New Zealand is limited.

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm as a rare catastrophic complication to surgical repair of mitral valve endocarditis.

Introduction: Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVPA) is rarely described in the medical literature, as a complication of mitral valve repair after infective endocarditis (IE) and only a few cases have been published until now.

Case Presentation: We reported a case of a woman in her forties without past medical history who underwent a successful surgical repair of mycotic pseudoaneurysm at the apex of the left ventricular after two months of mitral mechanical prosthetic valve replacement due to infective endocarditis.

Discussion: Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a rare condition with high associated morbidity and mortality.

Trend in Infective Endocarditis in Bulgaria: Characteristics and Outcome, 17-Years, Single Center Experience.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a difficult disease to diagnose and treat, with a persistently high mortality rate. There is a lack of recent data on IE in Bulgaria over the last decades.

Methods: This study is retrospective, single-centered, and includes 270 patients diagnosed with IE for the period 2005-2021.

[Risk factors analysis and prediction model construction of major adverse cardiovascular events in pregnant women with valvular heart disease].

To analysis the risk factors for major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) in pregnant women with valvular heart disease (VHD) and to construct a risk prediction model. The clinical data of 245 pregnant women with VHD who were hospitalized in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 1, 2012, to June 1, 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including general information, pre-pregnancy and pregnancy-associated cardiac conditions, and MACE. Univariate analysis and logistic regression models were employed to identify risk factors for MACE during pregnancy among pregnant women with VHD.

Percutaneous versus surgical closure of paravalvular leaks in prosthetic valves: A cross-sectional comparison of clinical outcomes.

Background And Aims: Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a serious complication of prosthetic valve replacement. Both surgical and percutaneous closure techniques are used for PVL closure, but optimal strategies and comparative outcomes are uncertain. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of percutaneous versus surgical PVL closure by analyzing changes in leak severity, functional status, echocardiographic parameters, and clinical outcomes.

Even a single positive blood culture may matter - A case of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by .

is a skin commensal bacterium that can contaminate blood cultures. It is however also a rare cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Here we report a case of aortic prosthesis IE in a 76-year-old man where only a single blood culture bottle was positive initially.

Early Versus Late Post Cesarean Section Warfarin Initiation and Increased Risk of Maternal Complications in Patients With Mechanical Heart Valves: A Randomized, Open-Label Pilot Study.

Background And Objectives: The timing of the reinstitution of warfarin after cesarean section (CS) delivery was not adequately addressed in the literature. This study aims to evaluate the risks of early versus late initiation of warfarin post-CS in patients with mechanical heart valves.

Methods: This randomized, open-label cohort study included 114 pregnant women with mechanical heart valves planned to be delivered by CS at or after 28 weeks of gestation.

Evaluating the Duke Criteria for infectious endocarditis in a single-center retrospective study.

The Duke Criteria have shaped the way infectious endocarditis (IE) is diagnosed in the last 30 years. This study aims to evaluate their current validity and importance in the diagnostic of IE. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 163 consecutive patients who presented at the University Hospital in Ulm (Germany) with clinical suspicion of IE between 2009 and 2019.