The complexity of the mitral valve has slowed development of new transcatheter technologies, and it now seems much more likely that transcatheter devices for tricuspid valve will push ahead to gain FDA clearances.

The FDA has approved a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new type of ablation catheter for patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) resistant to conventional anti-arrhythmic drugs or standard ablation procedures.

Rebecca T. Hahn, MD, Director of Interventional Echocardiography at the Columbia Structural Heart and Valve Center, discusses some of the trends in the growing use of interventional echocardiographic guidance in transcatheter structural heart procedures.

When these malfunctions occur, the FDA explained, it leads to an increased risk of additional interventions.

The new study, based on data from nearly 3,000 patients, compared DOACs such as rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban with single and dual antiplatelet therapy. 

These findings, researchers wrote, suggest that artificial sweeteners "should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar."

The company can now update its labeling instructions for the device to include a new 45-day dual anti-platelet therapy treatment option when treating non-valvular atrial fibrillation. 

Researchers tracked data from more than 2,000 patients, noting that surgical bailout, infective endocarditis and paravalvular leak were the most common reasons for surgery to be required after TAVR. The full study was published in the American Journal of Cardiology.