Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

older patient with a doctor at their house

Learning more about AFib: 19 important topics for cardiologists, other heart specialists to investigate

New AFib recommendations from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association covered significant ground—but there is still much more to learn, experts explained. 

December 4, 2023
2024 has been a banner year for structural heart treatments, especially those focused on the tricuspid valve. In February, for example, Edwards Lifesciences made history when its Evoque transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) system became the first device of its kind to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Two months later, Abbott’s TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system also gained FDA approval for the treatment of TR.

New AFib guidelines include higher recommendations for catheter ablation, LAAO

Cardiologists, electrophysiologists, surgeons and patient representatives all worked together on the updated guidelines, which were published in both the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Circulation.

December 1, 2023
business news announcement

Johnson & Johnson acquires medical device company behind new LAA technology for $400M

The deal could also include additional clinical and regulatory milestone payments in the years ahead.

November 30, 2023
Cardiawave Valvosoft non-invasive ultrasound therapy

Cardiawave’s non-invasive ultrasound therapy impresses cardiologists early on—could it be an alternative to SAVR, TAVR?

While TAVR and SAVR are reliable treatments for calcific aortic stenosis, some patients are not considered for those procedures due to severe comorbidities or a limited life expectancy. This is where the investigational Valvosoft device from Cardiawave enters the equation.

November 28, 2023
Medtronic Penditure Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Exclusion System

Medtronic debuts new FDA-cleared LAA exclusion device

Medtronic acquired the technology behind the new device back in August.

November 27, 2023
Smartphone

Smartphone app helps TAVR patients avoid major complications

Hospital readmissions, ER visits and major complications were all less likely when TAVR patients used a smartphone app to assist with their recovery. 

November 20, 2023
The Bern TAVI Registry looked at 2,500 TAVR patients to determine the level of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), predicting PPM based one the size of the valve used, or using CT measurements of the aortic annulus to see which was method was most accurate at predicting PPM. Image courtesy of Tomii et al. 

Cardiologists may want to rethink how they track prosthesis-patient mismatch after TAVR

Researchers evaluated two techniques for predicting PPM after TAVR, comparing them to how cardiologists typically check for PPM in day-to-day practice. 

November 17, 2023

TAVR linked to favorable outcomes for asymptomatic and minimally symptomatic patients—but is it necessary?

While TAVR is safe for minimally symptomatic patients, questions remain about whether or not it is actually needed. A new analysis in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions examines this topic in detail.

November 15, 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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