Total artificial heart recipients typically stay in the hospital. In this case, however, the patient was able to wait for a donated heart from the comfort of his own home.

A Florida family is suing Mayo Clinic for allegedly performing a heart transplant without communicating certain risks associated with the donated organ. Mayo Clinic has pushed back against those claims, saying it acted appropriately every step of the way. 

The donor-derived cell-free DNA tests from CareDx are designed to limit the use of surveillance biopsies and other more invasive treatment options. These tests have been available for adult patients for years now.

Two separate groups have published new research comparing early AVR with clinical surveillance for the treatment of asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Overall, the two groups found, early treatment was associated with multiple benefits—and no added risk of harm.

The valve's sutureless, collapsible frame was built to simplify implantation and help patients recover faster following surgery. This updated version features laser-cut details and was shaped using a zero-pressure fixation process.

The biggest differences, researchers noted, were found in the long-term outcomes of low- and intermediate-risk patients.

The historic heart procedure was part of a series of operations that saved the lives of three young girls. “The whole situation is extraordinary, whether you look at it from the standpoint of a scientific breakthrough or the average person’s point of view,” one parent said. 

How safe is it to perform cardiac surgery on a pregnant patient? When should care teams try to deliver the baby first and then complete the procedure? A team of Mayo Clinic researchers addressed those very questions, and many others, in a new analysis.