When the ACC and AHA collaborated on new valvular heart disease guidelines in 2020, the two groups highlighted the importance of interventional treatment options such as TAVR. However, an estimated one-third of patients with severe aortic stenosis in the U.S. still lack a guideline-recommended treatment plan.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is one of the most common—and growing—cardiac conditions. In particular, the prevalence of severe AS rises markedly among elderly Americans, affecting an estimated 3.4% of Americans 75 and older.[1]

Updates about transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are always big news, but the new five-year data from the CoreValve™ US Pivotal and SURTAVI trials came as a welcome surprise to many cardiologists. 

The trend to get PCI patients out of the hospital safely on the same day as their procedure has long been a goal for many health systems. WellStar Kennestone Regional Hospital, part of WellStar Health System in Atlanta, made same-day discharge for a vast majority of PCI patients a mission three years ago.

Thinking has changed: Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections are a bigger deal than we thought.

AirECMO, Inc., a division of Keystone Perfusion Services, P.C. announces a strategic partnership with industry leading air ambulance provider, REVA, to provide ECMO transportation capabilities globally. ECMO is an extracorporeal technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to maintain hemodynamic stability.

“Good harmony” is the way John P. Erwin III, MD, describes the synergy of the 2021 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease (VHD) released in August along with the ACC/AHA guidelines that rolled in December 2020.

It’s not uncommon for severe aortic stenosis to go unrecognized, and thus untreated. When the data points to the existence of low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis, a diagnosis can be even more challenging.