Pressure loss vs. flow curves offer a fundamental synthesis of fluids dynamics in describing aortic valve physiopathology. Severe aortic stenosis is not just an orifice (as suggested by Gorlin) or a segment that offers dynamic resistance. However, once a new transcatheter valve has been implanted, it will behave purely as a resistor. At dobutamine dose,…
More Favorable Evidence for TAVR in Severe Aortic Regurgitation
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was developed for aortic stenosis, but there is a significant number of patients with severe aortic regurgitation who still undergo this procedure as an off-label indication. Current evidence for this procedure in relation with this disease is growing, mainly due to good results obtained by different…
Far from a Being a Pun, Malnutrition Tips the Scales in TAVR
Nutritional status is associated with higher mortality in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis who require valve replacement, whether through conventional surgical strategy or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Malnutrition is obviously associated with frailty. As an advantage, it can be quite evident to our clinical eye and weighing scales are enough to define it.…
Differences in Debris Captured According to Valve Type
During valve replacement, cerebral protection systems may capture debris in up to 99% of all patients. In over half of them, these particles are >1 mm. The particles captured during procedures in which Evolut R or Lotus valves were used were more and larger compared with those captured with the Sapien balloon-expandable valve. Beyond differences among valves,…
Urgent/Emergent TAVR: A Valid Option
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Aortic stenosis with cardiac failure or cardiogenic shock involves high mortality risk at short term. Surgery in these conditions is often unsafe, which leaves us with valvuloplasty, but only as a bridge to some other procedure, seeing as it is effective only for a short time. Few studies have looked into patients undergoing…
The Largest Registry on the ACURATE neo Valve
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using the ACURATE neo device depends, largely, on correct patient selection and appropriate oversizing. The individual anatomy of each patient, namely periannular and aortic root calcification, must be taken into account. The ACURATE neo valve (Symetis/Boston, Ecublens, Switzerland) is a new-generation self-expanding valve characterized by a stent design shaped as an X…
Are the Rates of Stroke Similar in TAVR and Surgery?
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Stroke is one of the most undesirable complications we can face and, regarding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), major studies presented have rates of stroke of about 4%. In others, rates have been slightly higher. This meta-analysis included 5 randomized studies between 2011 and 2017: PARTNER, CoreVALVE, NOTION, PARTNER 2, and SURTAVI.…
Leaflet Laceration, an Extreme Measure to Avoid Coronary Occlusion After TAVR
Intentional leaflet laceration before mounting the prosthesis on the release system, so as to reduce the risk of acute coronary occlusion, seems a desperate maneuver to force transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Unfortunately, we will always encounter patients without other real choice; in those cases, creativity may start as compassionate treatment and then be upgraded…
EuroPCR 2018 | SAPIEN 3 in bicuspids
First generation TAVR procedures performed on patients with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis have rendered suboptimal outcomes. In addition, studies on new generation devices, such as the SAPIEN 3, have systematically excluded these patients from their protocols. Therefore, we are missing information about TAVR on bicuspid aortic valve stenosis patients. This study compared SAPIEN 3 TAVR…
EuroPCR 2018 | SENTINEL: Anatomical Predictors of Stroke during TAVR
The rate of cerebrovascular events in TAVR hovers about 4% in most of the current studies, regardless the center, the operator or the prosthetic valve. At present, no scores can adequately predict which patients run the highest risk of stroke during TAVR, and the routine use of cerebral protection devices remains controversial. The SENTINEL study…