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 tied to shorter hospital stays, better outcomes for patients in their 80s

Although octogenarians undergoing transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement (TAVR or SAVR) experienced similar rates of in-hospital mortality and vascular complications, a recent analysis from the National Inpatient Sample concluded patients who received the less-invasive procedure had shorter hospital stays and fared better for a range of other outcomes.

TAVR, SAVR outcomes worse in patients with severe frailty

A patient’s degree of frailty could predict their functional outcomes in the year following transcatheter or surgical aortic valve repair (TAVR or SAVR), according to research out of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

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How heart patients fare after they’ve been rejected for TMVR

Patients deemed ineligible for transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) who don’t undergo subsequent MV repair have poor clinical outcomes compared to those who are cleared for the procedure, according to a study published in the January edition of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

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Climate change could push CHD rates 62% higher by 2035

A projected increase in extreme weather driven by climate change could have a lasting effect on expectant mothers and their children, according to a study that recently linked maternal heat exposure to an elevated risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in the U.S.

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Knowledge sharing, device improvements may shrink TAVR learning curve

A new analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests the learning curve for achieving the best transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes may have dissipated with a current-generation, balloon-expandable device.

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Injecting opioids elevates risk for infective endocarditis

The risk of infective endocarditis rises alongside concomitant use of injected opioids, a team of researchers in Ontario, Canada, has found.

Transcatheter treatments catching up to surgical mitral valve repair

The use of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) systems continues to grow rapidly nearly six years after the FDA approved the U.S.'s first such treatment, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology. In contrast, rates of surgical mitral valve repair (SMVR) have remained steady.

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Waiting for guideline-based ‘triggers’ before addressing severe AR may harm survival

Patients with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) may be better off receiving valve operations before symptoms appear that “trigger” guideline recommendations for these surgeries, according to a new study in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

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