Debris Heterogeneity Across Different Valve Types Captured by a Cerebral Protection System During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Objectives

This study investigated differences between transcatheter heart valve (THV) types and regarding debris captured by a cerebral embolic protection system (Claret Medical Sentinel, Santa Rosa, California).

Aortic Valve Endocarditis with Bartonella Quintana—a Rare Entity

Endocarditis caused by Bartonella species is difficult to diagnose and still remains a rare entity. Therefore, a young male patient undergoing aortic valve replacement for culture-negative endocarditis is reported in whom the diagnosis of a Bartonella quintana infection was made with a great delay postoperatively.     

Is Bioprosthetic Valve Fracture Beneficial for Patients with Larger Surgical Valves Undergoing Valve in Valve TAVR?

Purpose of Review

This review aims to summarize data regarding bioprosthetic valve fracture (BVF), a novel technique that involves fracturing the surgical valve sewing ring to allow for further expansion of the transcatheter heart valve in patients undergoing valve in valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (VIV TAVR).

Recent Findings

Bench testing and clinical experience have demonstrated that most, but not all, bioprosthetic surgical valves can be fractured. BVF in patients with small- and intermediate-sized surgical valves results in a lower residual valve gradient and larger final valve effective orifice area as compared with standard VIV TAVR. However, whether patients with larger bioprothetic valves benefit from BVF, and whether the hemodynamic benefits of BVF translate into improved clinical outcomes, is unknown.

Summary

BVF improves the hemodynamic results of VIV TAVR in small surgical valves. However, further research is needed to determine whether BVF is beneficial for patients with larger surgical valves, and whether the hemodynamic benefits of BVF result in improved clinical outcomes.

     

Aortic Valve Sclerosis: Is It a Cardiovascular Risk Factor or a Cardiac Disease Marker?

BACKGROUND: Aortic valve sclerosis, without stenosis, has been associated with an increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity due to myocardial infarction. However, it is unclear whether it is a cardiovascular risk factor or a cardiac disease marker. The goal of our study is to evaluate the difference in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors among patients with or without aortic sclerosis. METHODS: This observational study compared a group of 142 consecutive subjects with aortic valve sclerosis, assigned as group S, with a group of 101 subjects without aortic sclerosis, assigned as group C. Patients with bicuspid aortic valves and those with antegrade Doppler velocity across aortic valve leaflets exceeding 2.0 m/sec were excluded. RESULTS: Mean ages of groups S and C were 71 +/- 8, and 68.8 +/- 6 years, respectively (P value = not significant). The prevalence of smoking, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, pulse pressure, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, and stroke was not significantly different between the two groups. However, there was a significantly higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (P = 0.05), ventricular arrhythmias (P = 0.02), myocardial infarction (P = 0.04), and systolic heart failure (P = 0.04) in aortic sclerosis group. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic sclerosis is associated with a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and systolic heart failure, while the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is not different between aortic sclerosis patients and controls. Hence, aortic sclerosis represents a cardiac disease marker useful for early identification of high-risk patients beyond cardiovascular risk factors rate.     

Infective Endocarditis in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve or Mitral Valve Prolapse

Background

There is little information concerning infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) or mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Currently, IE antibiotic prophylaxis (IEAP) is not recommended for these conditions.

Does Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Mean the End of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement?

Although the results of the early TAVI experience are promising, longer-term follow-up is necessary before the procedure can be extended to lowerrisk patients. Many issues are not yet resolved, including the long-term effects of paravalvular leaks (which occur in most TAVI patients), the true stroke rate in TAVI patients (which is probably in the range of 5% to 6%), and the need for permanent pacemaker implantation (which ranges from 5% to 40% in TAVI patients, depending upon the device used). As the procedure is extended into the lower-risk population, these issues will assume greater import than they have in the population currently in treatment—very elderly, high-risk patients with limited life expectancy. As in the coronary-revascularization paradigm of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting, there will be increasing adoption of the transcatheter approach. Just as the rumors of the demise of surgical bypass were premature, conventional AVR will continue to be the predominant technique for the treatment of aortic stenosis during at least the next decade. Although the percentage of patients treated by a transcatheter approach will continue to increase, regulatory and reimbursement factors are likely to be the primary determinants of the rate of adoption.     

Valve surgery at the Hospital de Cardiología y Neumología del Centro Médico Nacional IMSS

From January 1964 until February 1985, we performed 8,370 prosthetic valve procedures; this represents 54.32% of our total surgical load. Approximately 93% of the replacements were for rheumatic valve disease; the rest were for ischemic, myxomatous, degenerative, congenital, and traumatic heart disease. All cases were between New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classes II and IV; almost all patients had heart catheterizations before surgery. During the last 6 years, all patients had echocardiograms before undergoing heart catheterization.     

Bauhin's Ileocecal Valve Syndrome—A Rare Cause for Small-Bowel Obstruction: Report of a Case

Benign ileocecal valve hypertrophy is a rare cause for intestinal obstruction. We describe a 51-year-old female with clinical and imaging presentation of chronic small-bowel obstruction. The patient was operated on, and a limited thickening of the ileocecal bowel wall causing intestinal obstruction was found. A right hemicolectomy was performed. On microscopic examination, severe fibrosis with hypertrophied nerves was found without any additional findings of malignancy or inflammation. Review of the relevant literature is presented.     

Early Prosthetic Valve Dysfunction Due to Bioprosthetic Valve Thrombosis: The Role of Echocardiography

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to review the institutional practice of surveillance transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for diagnosing early prosthetic valve dysfunction (PVD).

Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Mixed Aortic Valve Disease

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with pure aortic stenosis (AS) (i.e., no or trivial associated aortic regurgitation [AR]) with those in patients with AS and mild or more severe AR (i.e., mixed aortic valve disease [MAVD]).BackgroundTAVR is indicated in treating patients with severe AS. Limited data exist regarding the outcomes of TAVR in patients with MAVD.MethodsA total of 1,133 patients who underwent TAVR between January 2014 and December 2017 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The comparison was adjusted to account for post-TAVR AR development in both groups. The secondary outcomes included composite endpoints of early safety and clinical efficacy as specified in the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. Variables were compared using Mann-Whitney, chi-square, and Fisher exact tests, while Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare survival.ResultsA total of 688 patients (61%) had MAVD (median age 83 years , 43% women). Among these, 17% developed mild, 2% moderate, and <1% severe post-TAVR AR. Overall, patients with MAVD had better survival compared with patients with pure AS (p = 0.03). Among patients who developed post-TAVR AR, those in the MAVD group had better survival (p = 0.04). In contrast, in patients who did not develop post-TAVR AR, pre-TAVR AR did not improve survival (p = 0.11).ConclusionsPatients with MAVD who underwent TAVR had better survival compared with patients with pure AS. This is explained by the better survival of patients with MAVD who developed post-TAVR AR, likely due to left ventricular adaptation to AR.     

Fulminant Presentation of a Failed TAVR Valve: Successful Revision with a Transcatheter Approach – Case Report and Review of the Literature

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) has evolved as a strategy for managing aortic stenosis in a growing proportion of patients considered at high or intermediate surgical risk. Though early data has demonstrated excellent durability and life span of transcatheter valves up to five years, there is an absence of case based studies in the literature regarding transcatheter valve failure after TAVR, and outcomes of subsequent redo TAVR Valve-in-Valve (VIV) procedures. We report here a successful case of emergent, catheter-based treatment for severe, highly symptomatic valve in valve restenosis of a 5 year old Sapien valve.     

Commissural Alignment of Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve and Native Aortic Valve Following Surgical and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and its Impact on Valvular Function and Coronary Filling

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the commissural alignment between bioprosthetic and native aortic valve leaflets following surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and to investigate its impact on valvular function and coronary filling.