References: Matthew Nayor et al. Contemporary Approach to Paradoxical Embolism. Circulation. 2014;129:1892-1897. Marco Hernandez-Enrıquez et al. Current Indications for Percutaneous Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale. Rev Esp Cardiol. 2014;67(8):603–607. The debate on patent foramen ovale behavior in different clinical contexts remains open, no pun intended. Based on numerous observational studies and expert recommendations, when facing the...
Foramen ovale closure for cryptogenic stroke
Original title: Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale versus Medical Therapy after Cryptogenic Stroke. Randomized Evaluation of Recurrent Stroke Comparing PFO Closure to Established Current Standard of Care Treatment (RESPECT). Reference: John D. Carroll et al. N Engl J Med 2013;368:1092-100. It is still unclear if the closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is effective in preventing recurrent stroke...
ACC 2024 | RELIEVE-HF
Heart failure is characterized by increased left atrial filling pressure and venous congestion which intensify with exercise and volume burden, and makes conventional medical management hard. In this context, interatrial shunting might offer a self-regulating mechanism, as shown by the Ventura IAS study. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy...
Cause of Cardiac Death after TAVR at Present
Cardiac failure (CF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) stand out as two of the main causes of death in patients with aortic stenosis. Although transcatheter aortic valve intervention has shown higher survival, these two continue to be the main conditions leading to patient death at followup. In its early days, TAVR also showed benefits, but...
Left Main Coronary Artery PCI: In What Scenario Could We Not Use IVUS?
Lesions in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) continue to pose a significant challenge. The use of coronary imaging before percutaneous coronary implantation (PCI) has proven useful in analyzing the lesion, identifying the presence and location of calcification, and determining lesion length in the LMCA, the left anterior descending artery, and the circumflex artery. Various...
Intracardiac Echocardiography to Guide Watchman Left Atrial Appendix Closure: Safe and Effective?
Left atrial appendix closure (LAAC) has become a frequent intervention for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) that make poor candidates for anticoagulation. However, it presents a complication with negative impact on procedural outcomes which is peridevice leak. To reduce these complications, we use intra-procedural imaging, the transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) being the most...
SOLACI’s Year
2021 was filled with challenges for SOLACI. Many of the initiatives we started planning in 2020 saw the light and became a reality that strengthens our society’s reach and mission. And not just that: we have also stepped up our efforts to expand and develop our traditional institutional activities always with the intent to add...
Five-Years After PFO Closure: Procedural Safety and Effectiveness
Five-year outcomes of the randomized REDUCE study showed a continuous benefit from patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure compared with antiplatelet agents to prevent cryptogenic strokes. The most important aspect of this result seems to be the idea that PFO closure in selected patients offers durable benefit with guaranteed long-term safety. The original results from REDUCE...
Procedural Rescheduling Criteria in the Pandemic Era
Patients with structural heart disease are at higher risk in the face of the new coronavirus infection due to both advanced age and numerous comorbidities. All variables must be taken into account when deciding whether a patient can wait (so as to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus) or their pathology must be...
See the Presentations of the 10° ProEducar Fellow Course
Learn about the presentations exhibited during the 10th ProEducar Fellows Course, held in 2019 in the city of Sao Paulo. The course was a real success, as it was attended by more than 150 professionals and renowned international interventionists, such as Doctors Stone, Grines, Granada, Hijazi, Abizaid, Mendiz, Lemos and Leiva Pons. We thank all...