We recently published the success of balloon-expandable Sapien valve when used as mitral valve replacement. We now hear about its success as pulmonary valve replacement. Previous experiences with this prosthesis for aortic valve replacement have encouraged many operators to attempt fixing other valves. At first, there were exceptional cases considered compassionate treatments. However, experience has…
AHA 2019 | Sapien vs Evolut: A Head-to-Head Study Seems Mandatory
Two French registries have carried out a propensity matched comparison which suggest differences between balloon-expandable valves (BEV) and self-expandable valves (SEV) in hard end points such as mortality. The only FDA approved commercially available transcatheter heart valves in the US are the BE Sapien 3 (Edwards Lifesciences) and the SE CoreValve Evolut PRO (Medtronic). Both…
TCT 2019 | SCOPE I: Self-Expanding Valve Acurate Neo Head to Head with Sapien 3
Courtesy of SBHCI. This work, which was presented during the TCT 2019 Scientific Sessions and simultaneously published in the Lancet, randomized patients to the ACURATE Neo prosthesis (n = 373) vs. the SAPIEN 3 (n = 367) in a head-to-head comparison involving 20 European sites. Transfemoral access was used in all patients. The study had a noninferiority design, and its primary…
PARTNER 2A: TAVI Not Inferior to Surgery in Intermediate Risk Patients
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) with the new generation balloon expandable valve is at least as good as surgery in intermediate risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. For those that can be accessedfemorally, TAVI seems even better than surgery. In all, 2032 intermediate risk patients were randomized in 57 centers to TAVI with Sapien…
The SAPIEN 3 Valve Resulted Superior to Surgery in an Observational Study
The last generation of the balloon expandable valve resulted superior to surgery in intermediate riskpatients, in a registry analyzis. Patients treated with the SAPIEN 3 valve showed lower rates of death, stroke and paravalvular leak at one year than patients undergoing surgery. This third generation improves the SAPIEN XT with a skirt designed to prevent…
PARTNER 1 in +90 Year Old Patients: TAVI and the Age Paradox
A new analyzis of the PARTNER 1 trial showed that patients over 90 undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) show no increase in mortality or major cardiovascular events rates, compared to younger patients. In fact, patients over 90 undergoing TAVI have the same life expectation of someone the same age with no aortic stenosis. In-hospital…