Rapidly evolving techniques for structural heart disease interventions

Structural heart disease interventions are the transcatheter techniques used for treating non-coronary heart disease. In recent years, these techniques have generated considerable interest even though they still comprise only a small percentage of the total volume of interventions performed in interventional cardiology departments. The level of interest in these techniques is high probably because their application is characterized by a number of special features: a) the need for multidisciplinary teams; b) the need for specialized education and training; c) the requirement for special skills developed through education and experience, and d) the limited number of referral centers at present. This article describes four specific techniques: a) percutaneous closure of perivalvular leaks; b) percutaneous left atrial appendage obliteration; c) percutaneous treatment of mitral regurgitation, and d) transcatheter implantation of prosthetic aortic valves. We explore the rationale for using the technique, the specific procedures involved and the results obtained.