Cardiac Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery includes coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), heart valve repair or replacement, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement, heart transplant, assisting in minimally invasive transcatheter valve structural heart procedures such as TAVR, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion, septal myectomy, surgical ablation for arrhythmias, and reconstruction of the heart in congenial heart disease cases. 

Abbott pulled the Trifecta GTaortic surgical valve off market in July 2023 after it was determined it had early structural valve deterioration (SVD) before 5 years.

Abbott pulls Trifecta heart valves off the market due to early deterioration

The FDA sent notice today that Abbott is pulling the Trifecta aortic surgical heart valve off the U.S. market due to the risk of early structural valve deterioration in less than 5 years. 

July 31, 2023
USPSTF updates its stance on aspirin use to prevent CVD, sees no benefit for patients 60 or older.

Tracking patient outcomes after valve-in-valve TAVR, redo SAVR

It is becoming more and more important, researchers noted, to examine the lifetime management of patients who undergo aortic valve replacement.

July 12, 2023
dissolvable heart monitors for AFib designed by Northwestern and George Washington

New dissolvable heart monitors could help cardiologists battle AFib

The new-look devices are soft, flexible, transparent and roughly the size of a postage stamp.

July 7, 2023
Balloon expansion deployment of an Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) device.

TAVR vs. surgery: Exploring 5-year outcomes among intermediate-risk patients

A group of renowned TAVR specialists examined data from 783 pairs of intermediate-risk patients, sharing their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

July 6, 2023
Ted Abraham, MD, explains ASE efforts to increase HCM education and standardization of care. #HCM #ASE #ASE23 #ASE2023

All eyes are on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy now that a drug treatment is in place

Ted Abraham, MD, explained why HCM has entered the limelight at recent cardiology conferences, including ASE 2023.

July 5, 2023
MASA Valve PECA Labs polymeric pulmonary valve Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The MASA Valve is a polymeric pulmonary valve designed and manufactured by Pennsylvania-based PECA Labs. It features a proprietary bi-leaflet design and was designed to grow with the patient, limiting the need for repeat surgeries. While the MASA Valve is not yet fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it has received the agency’s humanitarian use device and investigation device exemptions.

New polymeric heart valve, designed to grow with pediatric patients, implanted for first time

The new-look pulmonary valve features a proprietary bi-leaflet design and was designed to grow with the patient, limiting the need for repeat surgeries.

June 30, 2023
Large peridevice leaks after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) are incredibly rare and not associated with a greater risk of adverse outcomes, according to new research published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.[1] Smaller residual links are more common, however, and associated with a risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events.

How to encourage shared decision-making when treating aortic stenosis

Diagnosing, treating and managing aortic stenosis is often a challenging task, especially when the patient has a long life expectancy. Shared decision-making can make a significant impact, helping ensure the patient's values and preferences are taken into consideration. 

June 22, 2023

Top 20 children’s hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery

Did your facility make the cut? For its 2023-2024 list, U.S. News and World Report evaluated data from 119 hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists.

June 21, 2023

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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