TAVR

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a key structural heart procedure that has rapidly expanded in the decade since it was first FDA cleared. TAVR has come a paradigm shift in how many aortic stenosis patients are treated, now making up more than 50% of U.S. aortic valve replacements. It is less invasive than open heart surgery and recovery times are greatly reduced. TAVR can also be used in patients who otherwise are too high risk to undergo surgery. TAVR is referred to as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in many placed outside of the U.S. TAVR inspired the growing areas of transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

Medtronic Evolut FX TAVR valve

‘A huge victory for patient care’: Next-gen TAVR valve helps cardiologists target more patients

Sponsored by Medtronic

“The Evolut FX system is an improvement over previous Evolut system devices and it delivers better overall results to our patients,” says interventional cardiologist Guilherme Attizzani, MD. “It is an ideal solution for a majority of our patients.”

December 12, 2023
According to the U.S. government, Asante Health System and one of its surgeons knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE for more than six years. Heart surgery surgeons.

Early survival data favor valve-in-valve TAVR over redo SAVR—long-term data flip the script

Valve-in-valve TAVR outperforms redo SAVR for the first six months after treatment, according to a new meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Cardiology. Then, however, things begin to shift.

December 12, 2023
SavvyWire OpSens TAVR guidewire owned by Haemonetics. the SavvyWire guidewire, a sensor-guided device developed by OpSens Medical, a Canadian medical device company. According to OpSens, the SavvyWire is the first interventional device of its kind. It provides assistance with aortic valve delivery and positioning, like any guidewire, but it also includes sensors that enable continuous hemodynamic measurements and rapid LV pacing.

New 3-in-1 TAVR guidewire capable of hemodynamic measurements, LV pacing impresses cardiologists

The company behind the new technology was recently acquired for approximately $253 million. 

December 5, 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
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
Doctor patient

TAVR utilization skyrocketed over 5-year period, improving survival for older AS patients

The study focused on patients 65 years old and older who underwent treatment in one of 21 high-income countries. 

November 10, 2023

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