Pediatric ventricular assist devices (VADs) have been associated with better survival to heart transplantation in recent years, but infants and those with congenital heart disease (CHD) continue to have worse outcomes, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Valve-in-valve TAVR (ViV-TAVR) of a failed surgical valve was associated with comparable—and perhaps even better—clinical outcomes when compared to TAVR performed in native valves, according to a registry study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

With its potential to tap into a myriad of hospital services and departments, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is drawing interest from medical centers committed to improving the lives of their patients and bolstering the bottom line.

The FDA has approved the third generation of the MitraClip, which treats mitral regurgitation without open-heart surgery, device manufacturer Abbott announced July 12.

Scientists are beginning to explore whether infusing heart tissue with mitochondria can restore function to oxygen-deprived cells after a heart attack. The technique has potential in both pediatric and adult patients, according to an article in The New York Times.

Nearly all transcatheter heart valves (THVs) leave debris following aortic valve replacement, reinforcing the potential for embolic protection devices to reduce the burden of silent brain infarctions and future strokes.

Transcatheter valve-in-valve replacement for degenerated mitral bioprostheses was associated with similar 30-day and one-year mortality rates as redo surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR) in a retrospective study, despite the former being performed in older, sicker patients.

Mutations in the CHD4 gene are known contributors to congenital heart defects. Biologists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine believe they are beginning to understand why.