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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Gender gap observed in early TAVI era closing

The considerable survival advantage observed in female patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) during the procedure’s earlier years has diminished in the contemporary TAVI era, according to research out of Petah Tikva, Israel, meaning men and women are seeing similar outcomes post-procedure.

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TAVR, SAVR linked to equal survival in patients at intermediate surgical risk

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was easily the treatment of choice in German patients with severe stenosis at intermediate surgical risk from 2012 to 2014, according to a registry study, with both TAVR and surgical AVR (SAVR) carrying a 3.6 percent risk of in-hospital mortality.

Emergency department visits for CHD becoming safer but more costly

Emergency department visits for children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are getting more expensive over time but mortality rates are improving, according to an analysis of more than 420,000 CHD-related trips to the ED over a nine-year period.

Edwards Lifesciences' Philanthropy Exceeds Every Heartbeat Matters Goal To Impact One Million Underserved People Ahead Of Schedule

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2018 — Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, announced at a 60th anniversary educational event that the Every Heartbeat Matters initiative has exceeded the goal to impact the global burden of heart valve disease by supporting the education, screening and treatment of one million underserved people by 2020.

TCT.18: TAVR outcomes not swayed by valve type, anesthesia approach

SAN DIEGO — General and local anesthesia are comparably safe and effective during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, according to the first randomized trial to compare the two approaches.

TCT.18: COAPT draws superlatives, raises questions about replicating MitraClip’s benefits

Compared to heart failure patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation who were treated with guideline-directed medical therapy alone, those randomized to a MitraClip procedure plus optimal medical therapy demonstrated relative reductions of 47 percent for heart failure hospitalizations and 38 percent for mortality at two years of follow-up.

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Hypertension identified as risk factor for aortic valve disease

Sustained elevated blood pressure can increase a patient’s risk for both aortic valve stenosis and aortic regurgitation, according to an analysis of 5.4 million non-CVD patients in the U.K.

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Minimally invasive surgery minus cannulation safe, effective for CHD

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery without peripheral cannulation is both safe and effective for correcting a wide range of congenital heart defects, including mitral valve repair and pulmonary stenosis, according to research published in Heart, Lung and Circulation this week.

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