This angiographic substudy supports the safety of drug-coated balloons in small vessels. Despite better angiographic outcomes, there were eight cases of stent thrombosis among drug-eluting stent (DES) patients, while there was none with drug-coated balloons. In patients with small vessels, using a drug-coated balloon appears safe and comparable to DES, with favorable angiographic outcomes at...
The aim of this study was to assess the use of measuring left atrial pressure to complement transesophageal echocardiography and doppler imaging. Procedure efficacy is measured in the cath lab by echocardiography. However, these measurements are operator dependent and might be influenced by left ventricular function and changes in left atrial compliance. The study...
Early experience with the valve-in-valve technique in the treatment of failed bioprosthetic surgical valves in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has yielded acceptable acute procedural results. This turned the technique into another therapeutic option, one that could even cause the reassessment of the age limit for the surgical implantation of a mechanical or bioprosthesis valve....
Courtesy of Dr. Agustín Vecchia. Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with symptomatic aortic insufficiency and/or ventricular dilatation or decreased ventricular function. The broad implementation of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with aortic stenosis, the emergence of new devices, and the experience acquired by operators have brought this treatment to off-label indications such...
Original Title: Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic-Valve Replacement in Intermediate-Risk Patients. PARTNER 2A. Reference: Martin B. Leon et al. NEJM April 2, 2016 Courtesy of Dr. Juan A. Terré Studies have shown mortality rates after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in high risk patients are similar (PARTNER 2 – Cohort B). This is...
Original title: Comparison of Results of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients with Severely Stenotic Bicuspid versus Tricuspid or Non-Bicuspid Valves. Reference: Charis Costopoulos et al. Am J Cardiol. 2014 Jan 31. pii: S0002-9149(14)00554-2. The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiac malformation. It occurs in approximately 1% of the general population and often...