Perceval Sutureless Valve – are Sutureless Valves Here?

With the advent of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) techniques, a renewed interest has developed in sutureless aortic valve concepts in the last decade. The main feature of sutureless aortic valve implantation is the speed of insertion, thus making implantation easier for the surgeon. As a result, cross clamp times and myocardial ischemia may be reduced. The combined procedures (CABG with AVR in particular) can be done with a short cross clamp time. Perceval valve also provides an increased effective orifice area as compared with a stented bioprosthesis. Sutureless implantation of the Perceval valve is not only associated with shorter cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times but improved clinical outcomes too. This review covers the sutureless aortic valves and their evolution, with elaborate details on Perceval S valve in particular (which is the most widely used sutureless valve around the globe).     

La técnica de superposición de cúspides en TAVI con dispositivo autoexpandible optimiza la profundidad del implante y reduce la necesidad de marcapasos permanente

Introduction and objectivesThis study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of modifying the classic implantation technique for aortic transcatheter heart valve (THV) implantation to a cusp-overlap-projection (COP) technique to achieve a higher implantation depth and to reduce the burden of new permanent pacemaker implantation (PPMI) at 30 days. Aortic self-expanding THV carries an elevated risk for PPMI. A higher implantation depth minimizes the damage in the conduction system and may reduce PPMI rates.MethodsFrom March 2017, 226 patients were consecutively included: 113 patients were treated using the COP implantation technique compared with the previous 113 consecutive patients treated using the classic technique. In all patients, implantation depth was assessed by 3 methods (noncoronary cusp to the THV, mean of the noncoronary cusp and the left coronary cusp to the THV, and the deepest edge from the left coronary cusp and the noncoronary cusp to the THV).ResultsThe COP group had a lower implantation depth than the group treated with the classic technique (4.8 mm ± 2.2 vs 5.7 mm ± 3.1; P = .011; 5.8 mm ± 3.1 vs 6.5 mm ± 2.4; P = .095; 7.1 mm ± 2.8 vs 7.4 mm ± 3.2; P = .392). Forty patients (17.7%) required a new PPMI after the 30-day follow-up but this requirement was significantly lower in the COP group (12.4% vs 23%, P = .036). The COP implantation technique consistently protected against the main event (OR, 0.45; 95%CI, 0.21-0.97; P = .043), with similar procedural success rates and complications.ConclusionsThe COP implantation technique is a simple modification of the implantation protocol and provides a higher implantation depth of self-expanding-THV with lower conduction disturbances and PPMI rates.     

Interventions to reduce major vascular complications of TAVR

Vascular complications are still an important cause of morbidity and mortality with transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The aim of the present review is to review some of the recent developments and techniques, which have resulted in a reduction in the risk of vascular complications during transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement.     

Electrocardiographic changes and conduction disturbances after transfemoral aortic valve implantation with Edwards Sapien 3 prosthesis

Objectives

The aim of this study is to describe electrocardiographic changes and conduction abnormalities in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Von Willebrand factor revisited

Degenerative aortic valve stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease seen in developed countries. Since the implementation of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, there has been a surge of efforts to improve procedural technique as well as reduce mortality. Until recently, the mainstay method of assessment of valve implantation as well as paravalvular regurgitation has relied heavily on imaging techniques including transesophageal echocardiography and aortic root angiography. There has been a lot of scientific inquiry to identify biomarkers in the management of patients with aortic stenosis. von Willebrand factor activity and high molecular weight multimer level assessment has emerged as an excellent biomarker with intraoperative, point of care potential. These implications can both supplement imaging modalities as well as potentially serve as a more accurate assessment TAVR complications.

     

Comparison of latest generation supra-annular and intra-annular self-expanding transcatheter heart valves

BackgroundThis study compares two latest-generation self-expanding transcatheter heart valves (THV), the supra-annular ACURATE neo (Boston Scientific) and the intra-annular Centera THV (Edwards Lifesciences).MethodsIn this single center observational cohort trial 317 patients treated with the ACURATE neo and 78 patients treated with the Centera TVH were included. The main endpoints were device success and the early safety endpoint at 30 days.ResultsBesides higher incidence of diabetes mellitus and higher body mass index in patients treated with the ACURATE neo THV, there were no baseline differences between the groups. Device success was similar in both groups (neo: 91.8% vs. Centera: 93.6%; P=0.598), with numerically higher rates of moderate to severe paravalvular leakage in the ACURATE neo group (4.7% vs. 1.3%; P=0.214). At 30 days all-cause mortality rates were low in both groups (0.3% vs. 0%; P=0.620) and no difference occurred in the early safety at 30 days (19.3% vs. 16.7%; P=0.599). However, all-cause stroke rates were significantly higher in patients treated with the Centera THV (6.4 vs. 1.6%; P=0.015).ConclusionsThe ACURATE neo and the Centera THV show low mortality rates as well as comparable, favorable hemodynamics. The finding of higher stroke rates at 30 days with the repositionable Centera SE-THV needs further assessment.