Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

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TAVR technology keeps evolving, improving outcomes without compromising valve performance

Sponsored by Medtronic

TAVR is a go-to treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in much of the world, thanks in large part to the hard work of research teams that never stop looking for new, innovative ways to make the technology more effective.

Medtronic_Coronary access

Q&A: How supra-annular, self-expanding TAVR valves open up options for future interventions

Sponsored by Medtronic

TAVR procedures have surged more than 30% since 2020, with more than 107,000 patients receiving a new prosthetic valve in 2023 alone. As this trend continues, it’s increasingly important that cardiologists consider the long-term impact on future coronary interventions patients may need.  

bicuspid aortic valve disease TAVR

How TAVR valve choice impacts outcomes when treating type 1 bicuspid AS

Self-expanding and balloon-expandable TAVR valves are associated with comparable success rates and one-year outcomes when treating type 1 bicuspid aortic stenosis. However, each valve type comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

artificial intelligence AI heart cardiology

Medtronic using AI to identify more TAVR patients in need

Medtronic has launched new research into AI's potential to identify patients with severe aortic stenosis and other worrying symptoms. The company hopes to overcome longstanding health disparities and reach individuals who may otherwise go untreated.

Surgeons Operating On Patient

SAVR linked to higher 10-year survival rate than TAVR for low-risk patients

TAVR patients in this study were treated with early-generation devices that have since been updated, but researchers still believe their data are relevant to today's care teams.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman FLX device from Boston Scientific is associated with positive outcomes and limited adverse events after one year, according to new findings published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.[1] Many prior Watchman FLX studies, including PINNACLE FLX, had focused on the device’s performance in a controlled setting. The study’s authors hoped to gain a better understanding of its real-world impact by reviewing registry data from more than 97,000 U.S

LAAC with Watchman FLX reduces bleeding risks after AFib ablation

The new data, presented during AHA Scientific Sessions 2024, suggest LAAC with Boston Scientific's Watchman FLX could be a safe, effective alternative to OAC for limiting post-ablation strokes.

Immediate Past President of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC, executive vice chair of Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and a clinical professor of medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, details the top late-breaking studies at AHA 2024. #AHA24 #AHA2024

9 key takeaways from AHA 2024 in Chicago

Hadley Wilson, MD, spoke to Cardiovascular Business at the three-day event to discuss key late-breaking studies and trends. Topics included new drug treatments, AI and much more.

Redo TAVR: A 26-mm Sapien 3 device (Edwards Lifesciences) implanted within a 29-mm CoreValve device (Medtronic). Image courtesy of EuroIntervention.

Redo TAVR: The impact of implanting balloon-expandable valves in failed self-expanding valves

Researchers took a closer look at the effectiveness of redo TAVR, implanting Sapien 3 valves into a variety of explanted CoreValve and Evolut valves.

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