Cardiac Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery includes coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), heart valve repair or replacement, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement, heart transplant, assisting in minimally invasive transcatheter valve structural heart procedures such as TAVR, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion, septal myectomy, surgical ablation for arrhythmias, and reconstruction of the heart in congenial heart disease cases. 

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and attending cardiac surgeon at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Medicine, explains the late-breaking TAVR for failing bioprosthetic surgical valves five year outcomes from the PARTNER 3 Aortic Valve-in-Valve Registry at CRT 2025.

TAVR for failing surgical valves: Lessons learned from new 5-year data

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD, professor of surgery at Northwestern University, explained what these data can tell us about the lifetime management of patients who require aortic valve replacement.

Surgeons Operating On Patient

Mitral valve repair vs. replacement: Surgeons track long-term outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis

Mitral valve repair was linked to a significant improvement in long-term survival when treating infective endocarditis. Some patients are not good candidates for a repair procedure, however, making replacement the best possible option.

Surgeons in Houston have performed the world’s first successful human implant of BiVACOR’s Total Artificial Heart (TAH) technology. The procedure was completed July 9, 2024, at The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. It was part of an early feasibility study (EFS) first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in December 2023.

Patient discharged with total artificial heart for first time—goes 105 days while awaiting transplant

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.

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Family files lawsuit after transplant ends in tragedy—says son ‘got the heart of a meth addict’

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. 

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Blood tests for signs of organ rejection made available for young heart transplant patients

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.

cardiologists heart doctors

Cardiologists agree: Early TAVR or SAVR for asymptomatic severe AS limits strokes, hospitalizations

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.

Corcym has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new version of its Perceval Plus surgical aortic heart valve that includes the company’s advanced LANCELOT features.

FDA approves design updates for Perceval Plus surgical aortic valve

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.

heart data research doctor cardiologist AI

TAVR vs. SAVR: Real-world data highlight advantages of both techniques

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

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