Cerebral protection devices, designed to limit the risk of stroke during transcatheter aortic valve replacement, may be especially helpful when patients undergo valve-in-valve TAVR.

Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, PhD, said he hopes to spend his time as HVS president focused on fostering collaborations and encouraging innovation.

The veteran cardiologist had been worried that cerebral protection devices were only being used to treat TAVR patients with specific insurance plans. The lawsuit has now been resolved to the “mutual satisfaction” of both parties.

Alain Cribier, MD, a veteran interventional cardiologist out of France, died at the age of 79. The procedure he helped put on the map is arguably cardiology's most significant breakthrough in the last several decades. 

ACC/STS National Cardiovascular Data Registry metrics reporting for TAVR is important for marketing and care quality, explains Patricia Keegan, NP, with the Emory Heart and Vascular Center.

However, that one finding does not tell the whole story. Researchers also found that DOACs may increase a TAVR patient's risk of a disabling stroke.

After hours of discussion, the panel determined that the benefits of using the TriClip G4 TEER system to treat TR outweigh any potential risks. 

The panel's decision will be based on data from the TRILUMINATE study, which was ultimately positive for Abbott, but did lead to certain questions about patient outcomes.