Risk Of Conduction Abnormalities Research Articles

Transcatheter Myotomy for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

To describe the emerging role of transcatheter septal myotomy in the treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Transcatheter septal myotomy was developed to address risk of LVOT obstruction during TMVR, however it has been performed in patients with LVOT obstruction related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in whom it improves symptoms, reduces LVOT gradients, and is associated with low incidence of procedural complications. Transcatheter myotomy is a novel approach to address LVOT obstruction related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in patients who are not favorable surgical candidates. The risk of conduction abnormalities with transcatheter septal myotomy appears low. Research is needed to define optimal patient selection and long-term outcomes.

Membranous septum morphology and risk of conduction abnormalities after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

There are limited data on the association of membranous septum (MS) morphology and transcatheter heart valve (THV) implantation depth, and the development of new conduction abnormalities (CA) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to describe the morphology of the MS and predict the risk of new CA after TAVI based on the MS morphology and THV implantation depth. Based on preprocedural CT scans, the MS depth was measured for every 25% of the entire MS width in 272 TAVI patients without preprocedural bundle branch block (BBB) or pacemaker. Post-procedural CT scans for THV implantation depth assessment were available in 130 of these patients. The MS depth was a median of 2.5 mm (IQR 1.4-3.8) deeper at the posterior edge when compared to the anterior edge of the MS. New CA developed in 7.1% of patients in whom the THV did not cross the lower MS border at its anterior edge (3.6% with new BBB and high degree CA, respectively), in 18.8% of patients (15.6% with new BBB and 3.1% with new high-degree CA) where the THV overlapped the lower MS border by <2.5 mm and in 47.1% of patients (24.3% with new BBB and 22.9% with new high-degree CA) with THV overlap of the lower MS border by ≥2.5 mm. The difference of the MS depth and THV implantation depth measured at the anterior edge of the MS predicted new CA after TAVI.

Conduction Abnormalities Associated with Tricuspid Annuloplasty in Cardiac Transplantation.

Prophylactic DeVega tricuspid annuloplasty (DVA) of the donor heart has been reported to improve tricuspid regurgitation (TR), renal dysfunction, and mortality in cardiac transplant recipients. This is the first study to investigate the electrical, as well as, hemodynamic effects of DVA during orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic data of 76 patients with DVA and 104 patients without DVA who underwent OHT between 2013 and 2017 at Columbia University Medical Center (New York, NY) were studied. Patients with DVA were older (56.5 ± 1.2 vs. 52.4 ± 1.0 years of age; p = 0.017) and predominantly men (78% vs. 68%; p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in right ventricular function and TR. Patients with DVA had increased incidence of right bundle branch block compared with without DVA (37% ± 5.9% vs. 9% ± 2.9%; p < 0.001). Three patients with DVA developed complete heart block (CHB), whereas no patients without DVA developed CHB (p = 0.04). Four patients with DVA received a pacemaker (PPM), whereas only one patient in the without DVA group received a PPM. Complete heart block was significantly increased in patients who received prophylactic DVA. Possible risk of conduction abnormalities should be considered with performance of DVA annuloplasty in cardiac transplant recipients.

Diabetes as a risk factor for cardiac conduction defects: a review

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality with increasing prevalence in the ageing population. Coronary artery disease is the major cardiovascular abnormality in DM patients. Cardiomyopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy are two other known associated cardiovascular abnormalities. There are a few non-randomized studies reporting increased prevalence of cardiac conduction abnormalities, such as right bundle branch block (RBBB), bifascicular block and high degree atrioventricular (AV)-block but not left bundle branch block (LBBB), in DM patients. Most clinicians are not aware of this association, and it is rarely mentioned in the published reviews about cardiovascular abnormalities in this population. The cause of cardiac conduction abnormalities in DM patients is not known. If autonomic neuropathy or DM-associated cardiovascular disease plays a role, it remains unknown. The goal of this manuscript is to review the current literature about the risk of conduction abnormalities in DM patients. For this study, Medline, Google and published books were searched and reviewed for any references that matched cardiac conduction abnormalities, AV-block, BBB for bundle branch block, LBBB, RBBB, bifascicular block, autonomic neuropathy and DM.