Structural & Congenital Heart Disease

Abbott’s fourth-generation MitraClip device was approved by the FDA July 15 to treat mitral regurgitation (MR) in a wider population of patients, the company announced this week.

Patients with aortic stenosis who undergo SAVR live on average 1.9 years less than the general population, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

CMS on June 21 issued its finalized national coverage determination for TAVR—one that reportedly offers greater flexibility for hospitals and providers.

A novel robotic catheter could simplify valve procedures while allowing cardiac surgeons to complete multiple interventions within the same time frame, according to research presented at TVT 2019 in Chicago.

Research presented at TVT 2019 in Chicago last week suggests a transcarotid approach to transcatheter aortic valve replacement is favorable for patients unable to tolerate femoral access, topping both transapical and transaortic approaches as the preferable route for alternate-access TAVR.  

Physicians are facing a new issue as TAVR expands to younger populations—an increased incidence of bicuspid aortic stenosis.

The undertreatment of aortic stenosis in the U.S. is severe, driven by deep-rooted racial and sex disparities and a disconnect between patients and their clinicians.

An analysis of PARTNER 2 data, published in the June edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) within failed bioprosthetic surgical aortic valves is a viable long-term solution for high-risk individuals, with patients seeing “excellent” functional and quality of life outcomes three years after the procedure.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) face higher risks of in-hospital mortality and bleeding with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) than patients who aren’t dialysis-dependent, researchers report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Results from the TRILUMINATE study, presented this week at EuroPCR 2019 in Paris, suggest Abbott’s minimally invasive tricuspid valve repair system is an effective solution for patients with structural heart disease, reducing the severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in more than 85% of test cases.

As rates of infective endocarditis among intravenous drug users skyrocket, cardiologists are finding that treating the heart condition without addressing the disease of addiction contributes to readmissions and mortality. 

Clinical trials presented at ACC.19 flipped the script on TAVR vs. SAVR.