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Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Jun 25. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA.

Acquired valvular heart disease is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. While the etiology of the valvular dysfunction determines the mode of treatment, over 100,000 valve operations are performed annually in the US with the use of bioprosthetic valves comprising up to 90%. While bioprosthetic valves do not require life long anticoagulation, the incidence of prosthetic valve thrombosis is continuously increasing. Read More

Infect Drug Resist 2022 18;15:3179-3189. Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.

Purpose: This study aimed (i) to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors related to in-hospital mortality in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and (ii) to compare the differences in three age groups.

Methods: A total of 240 IE cases diagnosed using the modified Duke criteria between January 2016 and December 2019 were included and retrospectively studied. Patients were stratified into three age groups: < 50 y, 50-65 y, and > 65 y. Read More

Trends Cardiovasc Med 2022 Jun 22. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lankenau Heart Institute, Lankenau Medical Center, Main Line Health, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Research, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA.

In the era of lifetime management of aortic valve disease, the Ross procedure emerged as an alternative to prosthetic heart valves for young adults; however, more long-term data are warranted. We performed a meta-analysis of reconstructed time-to-event data to compare long-term outcomes between the Ross procedure and mechanical aortic valve replacement (mAVR) in young adults. PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and GoogleScholar were searched for studies comparing Ross procedure with mAVR that reported mortality/survival rates and/or reoperation rates accompanied by at least one Kaplan-Meier curve for any of the outcomes. Read More

J Int Med Res 2022 Jun;50(6):3000605221103959

Department of Internal Medicine Number 2, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Effective prevention of thromboembolism is essential for patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves. For this group of patients, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) remain the drug group of choice despite the widespread use of new anticoagulants in other diseases. As a consequence, warfarin resistance remains a serious challenge for physicians. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Jun 16;23(12). Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Experimental Medicine, Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, 650002 Kemerovo, Russia.

A 72-year-old female patient with mixed rheumatic mitral valve disease and persistent atrial fibrillation underwent mitral valve replacement and suffered from a combined thrombosis of the bioprosthetic valve and the left atrium as soon as 2 days post operation. The patient immediately underwent repeated valve replacement and left atrial thrombectomy. Yet, four days later the patient died due to the recurrent prosthetic valve and left atrial thrombosis which both resulted in an extremely low cardiac output. Read More

Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Cardiovascular Surgical Department, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Tricuspid regurgitation is a frequent and serious condition but tricuspid valve (TV) surgery, that may be a valve replacement when a repair is not feasible, is rarely performed. Recent development of transcatheter TV interventions offers new options for those high-surgical risk patients, especially TV replacement for patients who are not eligible for transcatheter TV repair. In this review, we describe indications and outcome after surgical TV replacement, and devices available or in development for transcatheter TV replacement. Read More

Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America.

Patients who need a prosthetic aortic heart valve may decide, working with their cardiologist and cardiac surgeon, among a variety of options: surgical or transcatheter approach, bioprosthetic or mechanical valve, or a Ross procedure if suitable to their age and anatomy. This review article examines the evidence for survival benefit with mechanical aortic valves, discusses bioprosthetic structural valve degeneration and its consequences, and considers the risks of redo aortic valve surgery or subsequent valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter intervention. It highlights the unique characteristics of the On-X aortic valve, including the US Food and Drug Administration approved and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline supported reduced anticoagulation target INR of 1. Read More

Med Sci (Basel) 2022 Jun 15;10(2). Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA.

Valvular heart disease is a rapidly growing cause of global cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with diverse and evolving geographic distribution. The prevalence of rheumatic heart disease, the most common valvular heart disease (affecting approximately 41 million people), has been rising in developing nations, likely due to the expansion of the young adult population and the decrease in premature mortality that has resulted from improved access to antibiotics, microbiological testing, and echocardiography. Rheumatic heart disease has also been rising among the impoverished and, often, indigenous populations of developed nations, spurring public health initiatives that are aimed at alleviating healthcare disparities. Read More

Rev Med Chil 2021 Dec;149(12):1806-1811

Centro Cardiovascular, Hospital Clínico Regional de Concepción "Dr. Guillermo Grant Benavente", Concepción, Chile.

Prosthetic valve replacement is the standard treatment for aortic valvulopathy. Due to the structural valve deterioration of biological prosthesis and the anticoagulation requirements of mechanical valves, the repair of aortic valve disease is receiving more attention in recent years. The Ozaki technique consists in the reconstruction of a trileaflet valve using autologous pericardium. Read More

Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Jun 16. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, United States of America. Electronic address:

Percutaneous paravalvular leak closure represents a small but important niche in structural interventions in the current era of interventional cardiology. It is estimated that paravalvular regurgitation affects 2-17% of all implanted prosthetic heart valves (which equates to 500 to 10,200 cases annually). Patients may present with clinical signs and evidence of heart failure, hemolysis or both. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 31;9:904958. Epub 2022 May 31.

Department of Structural Heart Disease Centre, Fu Wai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a critical problem in developing countries and is the cause of most of the cardiovascular adverse events in young people. In patients aged 50-70 years with RHD requiring mitral valve replacement (MVR), deciding between bioprosthetic and mechanical prosthetic valves remains controversial because few studies have defined the long-term outcomes.

Methods: 1,691 Patients aged 50-70 years with RHD who received mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVRm) or bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement (MVRb) were retrospectively reviewed in Fuwai hospital from 2010 to 2014. Read More

Int J Artif Organs 2022 Jun 16:3913988221106491. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Helios Klinikum Siegburg, Siegburg, Germany.

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) is currently implanted not only as a bridge to transplant or recovery but also as destination therapy. One factor, affecting the device performance and treatment adequacy negatively is the development of aortic valve insufficiency (AI) after the implantation. Herein, we introduce a minimally invasive partial sternotomy aortic valve replacement with an expandable bio-prosthesis in a 74-year-old LVAD patient with severe AI. Read More

PLoS Comput Biol 2022 Jun 13;18(6):e1010141. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are implantable pumps that act as a life support therapy for patients with severe heart failure. Despite improving the survival rate, LVAD therapy can carry major complications. Particularly, the flow distortion introduced by the LVAD in the left ventricle (LV) may induce thrombus formation. Read More

Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Jun 9. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada.

Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Jun 5. Epub 2022 Jun 5.

Unit of Cardiovascular Sciences, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

Despite the significant reduction of the overall burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), valvular heart disease (VHD) still represents an important cause of CVD morbidity and mortality. While the number of patients with prosthetic heart valves (PHV) is increasing, management of antithrombotic therapy in this setting remains particularly challenge. This happens also because the scientific guidelines and consensus documents rely on limited evidences. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Aug 1;176:118-124. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, Texas.

Described herein are certain clinical and morphologic findings in 33 patients who had their dysfunctioning native aortic valves replaced with a mechanical prosthesis and 4 to 302 months (mean 127) later had the mechanical prosthesis explanted because of developing prosthetic stenosis or regurgitation because of thrombus forming on a metallic disc, pannus on the cloth ring with overhanging the prosthetic orifice, or because of parabasilar regurgitation. Of the 33 patients, 25 were not infected and 8 were infected. At follow-up at least 23 of the 25 patients without infection and 7 of the 8 patients with prosthetic infection survived >1 year after the prosthetic valve explantation. Read More

Echo Res Pract 2022 Jun 6;9(1). Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Heart & Lung Centre, Royal Stoke University Hospital, University Hospitals of North Midlands, Newcastle Road, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

Background: Patients with prosthetic heart valves (PHV) require long-term follow-up, usually within a physiologist led heart valve surveillance clinic. These clinics are well established providing safe and effective patient care. The disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic on services has increased wait times thus we undertook a service evaluation to better understand the patients currently within the service and PHV related complications. Read More

Adv Mater 2022 Jun 2:e2201971. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, China.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have become the leading causes of death worldwide. The increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases has become a major public health problem and how to carry out efficient and reliable treatment of cardiovascular diseases has become an urgent global problem to be solved. Recently, implantable biomaterials and devices, especially minimally invasive interventional ones, such as vascular stents, artificial heart valves, bioprosthetic cardiac occluders, artificial grafts cardiac patches, atrial shunt and injectable hydrogels against heart failure, have become the most effective means in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Read More

J Invasive Cardiol 2022 Jun;34(6):E442-E447

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, 473 West 12th Avenue, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.

Objectives: In patients with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), accurate assessment of gradients is important to assess valve function and durability, which drives clinical decision-making. We sought to evaluate discrepancies in aortic valve mean gradients with balloon-expandable and self-expanding TAVI.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 507 patients that underwent TAVI and compared mean gradients by catheterization to transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Read More

Health Technol Assess 2022 05;26(28):1-86

School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.

Background: Infective endocarditis is a heart infection with a first-year mortality rate of ≈ 30%. It has long been thought that infective endocarditis is causally associated with bloodstream seeding with oral bacteria in ≈ 40-45% of cases. This theorem led guideline committees to recommend that individuals at increased risk of infective endocarditis should receive antibiotic prophylaxis before undergoing invasive dental procedures. Read More

Arkh Patol 2022 ;84(3):14-23

Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russia.

Objective: To compare the neointima structure in conduits for coronary bypass grafting, bioprosthetic heart valves, tissue-engineered vascular grafts, and metal stents.

Material And Methods: The objects of the study were the fragments of the human internal thoracic artery, experimental biodegradable vascular prostheses, leaflets of xenopericardial bioprostheses of heart valves, and fragments of stented vessels. Tissue samples were fixed in formalin and post-fixed in osmium tetroxide. Read More

Biomedicines 2022 May 8;10(5). Epub 2022 May 8.

Department of Natural and Synthetic Polymers, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, 700050 Iasi, Romania.

In the history of biomedicine and biomedical devices, heart valve manufacturing techniques have undergone a spectacular evolution. However, important limitations in the development and use of these devices are known and heart valve tissue engineering has proven to be the solution to the problems faced by mechanical and prosthetic valves. The new generation of heart valves developed by tissue engineering has the ability to repair, reshape and regenerate cardiac tissue. Read More

Heart 2022 May 24. Epub 2022 May 24.

Division of Cardiology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mixed aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic regurgitation (AR) is the most frequent concomitant valve disease worldwide and represents a heterogeneous population ranging from mild AS with severe AR to mild AR with severe AS. About 6.8% of patients with at least moderate AS will also have moderate or greater AR, and 17. Read More

Pharmacogenomics 2022 Jun 24;23(8):475-485. Epub 2022 May 24.

Department of Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India.

Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are class I oral anticoagulants that are widely prescribed following surgical heart valve implantation. The objective of this study was to quantify the relative effects of and genotypes in predicting VKA dosing. A total of 506 South Indian patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves who were prescribed oral VKAs, such as warfarin or acenocoumarol, were genotyped. Read More

S Afr Med J 2022 04 4;112(4):13554. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (PVE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of PVE in South African retrospective studies ranges between 13% and 17%.

Objectives: To define the clinical profile and outcomes of patients with PVE, and compare them with those of native valve endocarditis (NVE) patients. Read More

Sheng Wu Yi Xue Gong Cheng Xue Za Zhi 2022 Apr;39(2):329-338

School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P. R. China.

The implantation of biventricular assist device (BiVAD) is more challenging than that of left ventricular assist device for the interaction in the process of multiple input and output. Besides, ventricular assist device (VAD) often runs in constant speed (CS) mode in clinical use and thus BiVAD also faces the problems of low pulsation and imbalance of blood volume between systemic circulation and pulmonary circulation. In this paper, a delay assist mode for a VAD by shortening the support time of VAD was put forward. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 18;9:863136. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Tissue Engineering Unit, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Istituto di ricovero e cura a carattere scientifico (IRCCS), Milan, Italy.

The absence of pharmacological treatments to reduce or retard the progression of cardiac valve diseases makes replacement with artificial prostheses (mechanical or bio-prosthetic) essential. Given the increasing incidence of cardiac valve pathologies, there is always a more stringent need for valve replacements that offer enhanced performance and durability. Unfortunately, surgical valve replacement with mechanical or biological substitutes still leads to disadvantages over time. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2022 Apr 25;25(2):E305-E313. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Background: In patients with prosthetic valves, the perioperative outcomes, as well as the risk factors, following gastrointestinal surgery remain to be defined.  Methods: From January 2010 to March 2018, the clinical data of 69 cases with prosthetic valves after gastrointestinal surgery retrospectively were collected. Univariate and multivariate analysis were applied to identify the risk factors associated with significant bleeding events and non-hemorrhagic complications. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2022 Mar 24;25(2):E213-E221. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Department of Valvular Heart Disease, The Heart Centre, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) with involvement of the aortic root is associated with high short-term mortality and morbidity. Long-term data are sparse, and the existing studies with long-term data are restricted by a low number of patients and do not report mortality risks of different age groups.

Objective: This study examined the all-cause mortality risk postoperatively of patients with first-time IE who underwent aortic root replacement (ARR), according to age at the time of surgery, with one and 10 years follow-up. Read More

J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2022 Apr 25. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Loma Linda University Health, 11234 Anderson St, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA.

Background: There has been increasing interest in physiologic pacing techniques that directly activate the specialized conduction system. We aimed to assess outcomes of conduction system pacing (CSP) in patients with prosthetic heart valves.

Methods: This systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Read More