Treatment Of Aortic Valve Disease Research Articles

Current challenges in TAVI: neo-commissural alignment to mimic more physiologic valve implantation.

Commissural alignment during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has important clinical implications as TAVI expands to younger patients in whom lifetime treatment of aortic valve disease and coronary artery disease is of particular importance. Numerous studies have shown that lack of commissural alignment may adversely affect coronary reaccess and the feasibility of redo-TAVI in this patient population. To assess the risk of commissural misalignment more accurately, we have pioneered and validated the use of a preprocedural imaging protocol that determines valve orientation using multi-detector computed tomography-fluoroscopy co-registration. Furthermore, we have shown that a modified delivery system insertion technique during initial valve deployment results in improved commissural alignment and reduced coronary artery overlap following TAVI with a self-expanding device. However, numerous unanswered questions remain about the impact of commissural misalignment on balloon-expandable valve-in-valve TAVI, especially in patients with unfavorable aortic root anatomy. It is imperative that clinicians consider these anatomic, device-related, and procedure factors, among others, when evaluating patients for transcatheter therapies.

The Myval Transcatheter Heart Valve System for the Treatment of Severe Aortic Stenosis - Current Evidence and Future Directions.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has revolutionised the treatment of aortic valve disease. The Myval™ device (Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat, India) is a CE-marked, next-generation balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve, designed for the treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis. This review illustrates the salient technical features of this transcatheter valve, pre-clinical studies and evidence from the first-in-human trial. We also provide a brief overview of planned clinical trials and registries.

The utility of aortic valve leaflet reconstruction techniques in children and young adults

ObjectivesThe treatment of aortic valve disease in children and adolescents requires an individualized approach to provide a long-term solution with optimal hemodynamic profile. The role of aortic leaflet reconstruction techniques is evolving. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the charts of 58 patients who underwent aortic valve tricuspidalization either by an Ozaki procedure (neo-tricuspidalization) or single leaflet reconstruction between 2015 and 2019. Immediate operative results as well as hospital and short-term outpatient follow-up data were evaluated. ResultsFifty-eight patients underwent leaflet reconstruction with 40 (69%) receiving a neo-tricuspidalization and 18 patients (31%) undergoing single leaflet reconstruction, using either a glutaraldehyde fixed autologous pericardium or tissue engineered bovine pericardium (CardioCel; Admedus, Queensland, Australia). The median age at the time of surgery was 14.8 years (interquartile range, 10.6-16.8 years). Twenty-three patients (40%) had isolated aortic regurgitation. The peak velocity across the aortic valve decreased from 3.4 ± 1.2 meters per second (m/s) preoperatively to 2.0 ± 0.4 m/s (P < .001) after surgery and remained stable (2.2 ± 0.7 m/s) during a median echocardiographic follow-up of 14.1 months (7.2-20.1 months) for the whole cohort. Freedom from reoperation or moderate and greater aortic regurgitation at 1, 2, and 3 years was 94.2% ± 3.3%, 85.0% ± 5.8%, and 79.0% ± 8.0%, respectively, with no difference between the neo-tricuspidalization and single leaflet reconstruction groups (P = .635). There were 6 late reoperations (10%) of which 3 were due to endocarditis. ConclusionsAortic leaflet reconstruction provides acceptable short-term hemodynamic outcomes and proves the utility of this technique as an adjunctive strategy for surgical treatment of aortic valve disease in children and young adults.

Assessment of the predictors of persistence/progression of functional mitral insufficiency in patients undergoing the interventional treatment of aortic valve diseases

Mitral insufficiency usually accompanies numerous aortic valve diseases. At present, concomitant pronounced mitral regurgitation remains a fairly urgent problem in the transcatheter treatment of aortic valve diseases. During the postoperative period of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, mitral insufficiency tends to decrease in majority of the patients; however, in certain patients, mitral insufficiency persists as well as progresses, highlighting the advantages of this approach over open two-valve surgery. This article presents an analysis of research devoted to functional mitral insufficiency in patients undergoing the interventional treatment of aortic valve diseases. This study included high-risk patients (according to the STS scale of operational risk ≥8%), representing an older age group with a broad spectrum of comorbid pathologies. Some cases were categorised as the New York Heart Association functional class IV, presented with pronounced systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle or were considered inoperable. Based on the systematic review of eight studies, predictors of potential mitral insufficiency progression were identified, and treatment algorithms for this category of patients were studied for the interventional treatment of aortic valve disease. The intervention aims to optimise long-term prognosis, both in open surgery and minimally invasive interventions. The results of the present study will help improve immediate and long-term postoperative outcomes of the interventional treatment of aortic valve diseases. Determining the prognostic development of mitral regurgitation will help select the best management tactics for this complex group of patients, thereby improving treatment outcomes and long-term prognosis of both open surgery and minimally invasive interventions.Received 26 June 2019. Revised 23 August 2019. Accepted 26 August 2019.Funding: The study did not have sponsorship.Conflict of interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Surgical treatment of aortic valve disease: early results of a 360° minimally invasive approach

Over the years, with the introduction of minimally invasive techniques and technologies aimed at reducing surgical trauma, aortic valve surgery has considerably developed and improved. Our approach includes: reduced incisions (upper "J" ministernomy or anterior right minithoracotomy), "ultra fast-track" anesthesia protocols, sutureless and rapid deployment valve prostheses and miniaturized circuits of extracorporeal circulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with this multidisciplinary approach. Between October 2016 and November 2018, 429 patients underwent isolated aortic valve replacement at the Cardiac Surgery Unit of the "Ospedali Riuniti" of Ancona, Italy. Overall, 91 patients (21.2%) were operated according to our minimally invasive approach. A severe aortic valve stenosis was the indication for surgery in 90.1% of patients, aortic valve insufficiency in the remaining 18.7%. There were neither in-hospital deaths nor major or minor neurological events. Atrial fibrillation was the main postoperative complications (n=26, 28.6%). Four patients (4.4%) underwent permanent pacemaker implantation due to third-degree atrioventricular block, and a surgical bleeding revision was performed in 3.3%. No episodes of respiratory failure were reported. The median length of hospital stay was 6 days (5-8 days). Our initial experience with a 360° minimally invasive approach for the treatment of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement shows encouraging clinical outcomes; this approach may lead to an improved perception of surgery both by patients and their families. However, further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the long-term results.

Cardiac surgery 2.0

Minimally invasive approach has become key in cardiac surgery over the last decade and nowadays involves all areas of expertise, as it was initially developed for mitral valve surgery and has quickly expanded also to surgery for the treatment of aortic valve disease and to myocardial revascularization. Compared to standard sternotomy, the most evident difference is minimalization of surgical incision, which reduces chest trauma with several benefits for patients. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery requires dedicated instrumentation/devices as well as an additive learning curve. Different perfusion strategies and aortic clamping techniques are available that facilitate this approach, although their well known advantages are also accompanied by several disadvantages, including an increased rate of stroke or vascular complications, that can be minimized in high-volume centers and by adopting a tailored approach based on the patient's features.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation after aortic valve neocuspidization using autologous pericardium: a case report

BackgroundAortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo), a novel surgical procedure used in the treatment of aortic valve diseases, including aortic stenosis (AS), involves the replacement of three aortic valve cusps by glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium. Although reoperation risk is low, no case report on the deterioration of the AVNeo has yet been published.Case summaryAn 80-year-old woman who underwent AVNeo for severe degenerative tricuspid AS 6 years previously complained of shortness of breath. Echocardiographic assessment revealed the reconstructed aortic valve leaflet was elongated, thickened, and marginally calcified resulting in recurrent severe AS. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation using balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve was successfully performed.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first case report regarding the structural deterioration of the AVNeo resulting in restenosis 6 years after the first surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is possibly a suitable approach for post-procedural recurrence after AVNeo to avoid redo open-heart surgery which would be of prohibitive risk especially in an elderly population.

Pathology of the Aortic Valve: Aortic Valve Stenosis/Aortic Regurgitation.

This discussion is intended to review the anatomy and pathology of the aortic valve and aortic root region, and to provide a basis for the understanding of and treatment of the important life-threatening diseases that affect the aortic valve. The most exciting recent finding is that less invasive methods are being developed to treat diseases of the aortic valve. There are no medical cures for aortic valve diseases. Until recently, open-heart surgery was the only effective method of treatment. Now percutaneous approaches to implant bioprosthetic valves into failed native or previously implanted bioprosthetic valves are being developed and utilized. A genetic basis for many of the diseases that affect the aortic valve is being discovered that also should lead to innovative approaches to perhaps prevent these disease. Sequencing of ribosomal RNA is assisting in identifying organisms causing endocarditis, leading to more effective antimicrobial therapy. There is exciting, expanding, therapeutic innovation in the treatment of aortic valve disease.

Abstract 114: Trends in Aortic Valve Interventions in The Netherlands

Introduction: Aortic valve disease is the leading valvular pathology in the Western World. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have emerged as alternatives to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The study’s objective is to describe clinical trends in TAVI and SAVR in patients with aorta valve disease. Method: Within the Netherlands Heart Registry (NHR) trends were analyzed in isolated TAVI and SAVR among 14 centers in the Netherlands. Results: Between 2013 and 2017, a total of 7432 isolated SAVR and 5929 TAVI procedures have been performed. An 43.9% (from 2174 to 3128) increase in the total number of SAVRs and TAVIs was observed, merely in het due to a 161% (from 669 to 1748) growth of TAVIs. In 2017, there was a slight decline in SVAR. In TAVI patients the 30-day and 120-day mortality decreased significantly, from 7.2% (40 of 558) and 10.6% (59 of 558) in 2013 to 3.4% (52 of 1540) and 5.7% (86 of 1509) in 2017 respectively. The risk adjusted outcomes showed a significant decrease in vascular complications in TAVI. The risk profile of TAVI patients has changed over time, with a trend towards decrease of risk: lower EuroSCORE and higher left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusion: This registry showed a rapid increase in the use of TAVI for the treatment of aortic valve disease in the Netherlands. Importantly, early mortality rates declined as did the rate of complications. Furthermore, a trend towards decrease of risk was observed.

Functional mitral regurgitation after surgical treatment of aortic valve disease

Functional mitral regurgitation after surgical treatment of aortic valve disease

Анализ динамики функциональной митральной недостаточности после хирургического лечения пороков аортального клапана

Анализ динамики функциональной митральной недостаточности после хирургического лечения пороков аортального клапана

Results of endovascular treatment of aortic valve disease in patients with intermediate surgical risk

Aim. To assess the results of a one­year follow­up after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with intermediate surgical risk with severe aortic stenosis.Material and methods. The study included 42 patients with hemodynamically significant aortic stenosis and intermediate surgical risk. We assess the incidence of prosthesis­associated complications, one­year survival, clinical and hemodynamic characteristics, as well as the dynamics of the quality of life and social adaptation in the early postoperative period and one year after the intervention.Results. In patients with intermediate surgical risk prosthesis­associated complications were not registered in the early postoperative period and one year after TAVI, the survival rate was 97,6% and 88%, respectively. The hemodynamic effect of the operation according to the results of echocardiography persisted a year after the intervention with the positive dynamics of the myocardial contractile function. The quality of life a year after the TAVI increased on the scale of the physical health of the SF­36 questionnaire from 25 (22;29) to 42 (28;46) points (p=0,031), on the mental health from 42 (33;50) up to 53 (48;57) points (p=0,025). The level of social adaptation has increased significantly; score of the Holmes and Rahe scale decreased from 250 (198;300) to 200 (180;220) (p=0,027). Conclusion. The hemodynamic efficacy of TAVI in patients with intermediate surgical risk with severe aortic stenosis is associated with a significant improvement of life quality and the level of social adaptation one year after the endovascular correction of valve defect.

Evolution of Length of Stay After Surgical and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Over 8 Years in 1,849 Patients >75 Years of Age and Comparison Between Transfemoral and Transsubclavian Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Minimized length of hospitalization (LoS) and lower risk of hospitalization-related complications are key requirements in the treatment of aortic valve disease, mainly in the elderly candidates. Our objective was to evaluate evolution of LoS after surgical (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and its predictors. We enrolled 1,849 elderly (aged >75) patients receiving SAVR or TAVI from 2009 to 2016. In the surgical cohort (n = 1,006) the mean LoS slightly decreased from 13.81 ± 9.27 days (2009) to 10.96 ± 3.77 (2016); in the TAVI cohort (n = 843), LoS passed from 13.33 ± 9.17 (2009) to 6.21 ± 4.30 days (2016). All-cause mortality at 1 month was 3.77 % (SAVR) versus 4.7% (TAVI) (p >0.05). Among Transfemoral TAVI (TF, n = 681), and Transsubclavian TAVI (TS, n = 62), average LoS was comparable (7.38 days ± 7.11 vs 7.31 ± 4.32; median 6.0 and 6.0 days, p = 0.07). Procedural success was reached in 93% (TF) and in 85.4% (TS) (p = 0.20). There were no meaningful differences among TF and TS in terms of VARC-2 postprocedural morbidity, except for the rate of vascular access-related complications; these occurred in 8.8% of cases in the TF group versus 1.6% in the TS group (p = 0.05). In conclusion the present analysis showed a faster improvement in terms of LoS for TAVI compared with SAVR over 8 years of activity. The 2 strategies presented comparable all-causes mortality at 30 days. LoS, rates of procedural success and complications were comparable among TF and TS TAVI; nonetheless, vascular access-related complications were more frequent in the TF cohort. This suggests the validity of the TS route as an alternative to the TF approach.

Ultra fast-track minimally invasive aortic valve replacement: going beyond reduced incisions.

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) via a median sternotomy approach has been largely reported to be safe and long-term efficacious, and currently represents the 'gold standard' approach for aortic stenosis treatment. However, aortic valve surgery has undergone continuous development over the last years, involving less invasive techniques and new technologies to reduce the traumatic impact of the intervention and extend the operability toward increasingly high-risk patients. Indeed, minimally invasive AVR and transcatheter aortic valve replacement caseload have steadily increased leading to a paradigm shift in the treatment of aortic valve disease. In this setting, we have established a multidisciplinary minimally invasive programme to treat patients who require AVR. Herein, we present our approach including (i) reduced chest incision (through a J ministernotomy), aiming to reduce the traumatic impact of the surgical procedure, to decrease blood loss, postoperative pain and wound complications and to increase patient's satisfaction; (ii) rapid-deployment AVR, to reduce operative times, to facilitate minimally invasive approach and to improve haemodynamic outcomes; (iii) minimal invasive extracorporeal circulation system, to improve end-organ protection, to decrease systemic inflammatory response and to promote fast-track anaesthesia and (iv) ultra fast-track anaesthesia, to decrease the rate of postoperative complications and assure better and earlier recovery.

The place of the Ozaki procedure in the treatment of aortic valve disease.

The number of options for approaching a diseased aortic valve is probably the largest existing in the field of surgery.

3D Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation of Aortic Valves Using a Unified Continuum ALE FEM Model.

Due to advances in medical imaging, computational fluid dynamics algorithms and high performance computing, computer simulation is developing into an important tool for understanding the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and intraventricular blood flow. The field of cardiac flow simulation is challenging and highly interdisciplinary. We apply a computational framework for automated solutions of partial differential equations using Finite Element Methods where any mathematical description directly can be translated to code. This allows us to develop a cardiac model where specific properties of the heart such as fluid-structure interaction of the aortic valve can be added in a modular way without extensive efforts. In previous work, we simulated the blood flow in the left ventricle of the heart. In this paper, we extend this model by placing prototypes of both a native and a mechanical aortic valve in the outflow region of the left ventricle. Numerical simulation of the blood flow in the vicinity of the valve offers the possibility to improve the treatment of aortic valve diseases as aortic stenosis (narrowing of the valve opening) or regurgitation (leaking) and to optimize the design of prosthetic heart valves in a controlled and specific way. The fluid-structure interaction and contact problem are formulated in a unified continuum model using the conservation laws for mass and momentum and a phase function. The discretization is based on an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian space-time finite element method with streamline diffusion stabilization, and it is implemented in the open source software Unicorn which shows near optimal scaling up to thousands of cores. Computational results are presented to demonstrate the capability of our framework.

Current surgical strategies and techniques of aortic valve diseases in children.

While the long-term outcome of surgical aortic valvotomy (SAV) appears to be better than that of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) as the primary procedure of aortic valve stenosis, the surgical strategies and techniques of treating aortic valve disease in children in other situations remain controversial. Valve repair should be first considered while replacement is still unavoidable in some cases, and new repair techniques developed by innovative surgeons are gradually becoming adopted. Some complex repair procedures such as cusp extension, leaflet replacement/reconstruction have provided satisfactory outcomes. The Ozaki technique replaces aortic valve leaflets with glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium instead of replacing the valve entirely. Special instruments have been developed to make the Ozaki technique more reproducible and standardized. Neonates and infants undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) are a high-risk group, where repair should be the primary consideration rather than replacement. Several systematic reviews reveal that all currently available aortic valve substitutes such as pulmonary autograft, mechanical prosthesis, homograft and bioprosthesis are associated with suboptimal results in children, but pulmonary autograft appeared to be superior with high freedom from reintervention and better hemodynamic performance. The strategy for treatment of aortic valve disease should be specifically analyzed based on the brief of being beneficial for children.

Regional differences in aortic valve replacements: Atlantic Canadian experience.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is evolving rapidly and is increasingly being adopted in the treatment of aortic valve disease. The goal of this study was to examine regional differences in surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and TAVI across Atlantic Canada. We identified all patients who underwent SAVR or TAVI between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2014, in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Data obtained included patient demographic characteristics and surgical procedure details. We performed univariate descriptive analyses and calculated crude and age- and sex-adjusted incidence rates. A total of 3042 patients underwent SAVR or TAVI during the study period, 1491 in Nova Scotia, 1042 in New Brunswick and 509 in Newfoundland and Labrador. Patient demographic characteristics were similar across regions. A much higher proportion of patients in Newfoundland and Labrador (43.6%) than in Nova Scotia (4.2%) or New Brunswick (13.6%) received a mechanical versus a bioprosthetic valve. Rates of TAVI increased over the study period, with New Brunswick adopting their program before Nova Scotia (144 v. 74 procedures). Adjusted rates of all AVR procedures remained stable in Nova Scotia (40-50 per 100 000 people). Adjusted rates were lower in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador than in Nova Scotia; they increased slowly in New Brunswick over the study period. Despite geographical proximity and similar patient demographic characteristics, there existed regional differences in the management of aortic valve disease within Atlantic Canada. Further study is required to determine whether the observed differences in age- and sex-adjusted rates of AVR may be explained by geographical disease-related differences, varying practice patterns or barriers in access to care.

Single-surgeon Experience With the Ross Procedure for Treatment of Aortic Valve Disease

Single-surgeon Experience With the Ross Procedure for Treatment of Aortic Valve Disease

Percutaneous Treatment of Aortic Valve Disease: Contemporary Overview and Future Trends.

Efforts to develop and refine percutaneous approaches to cardiac valve repair and replacement have advanced rapidly over the past several years, having exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. New innovations have been predominantly directed toward the most frequent form of valvular heart disease (VHD) in the industrialized world; aortic stenosis (AS). Approximately 250,000 transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures have been done so far addressing this significant medical need. Because of the predominance of degenerative etiologies, the prevalence of VHD increases markedly in population above the age of 65 years, in particular with regard to severe AS. As the populations of the industrialized countries continue to be older, the need for less invasive and safer methods of treating severe AS will continue to grow. In this review we provide comprehensive and up-to-date overview of TAVI in current clinical practice. We have also addressed dilemmas and unanswered questions related to TAVI procedures in different groups of patients and highlighted opportunities and trends related to future TAVI implementation.