Subclinical leaflet thrombosis in surgical and transcatheter bioprosthetic aortic valves: an observational study

Use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for severe aortic stenosis (AS) has grown rapidly over the last decade and the technology has correspondingly matured. Nevertheless, recent data suggest that subclinical thrombosis may form on some leaflets of the TAVR prostheses following implant. The frequency, implications, and required treatment of this process are largely unknown, […]

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Surgical or Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement in Intermediate-Risk Patients (SURTAVI Investigators)

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is superior to medical therapy in inoperable patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS), and may be the preferred option in high-risk surgical patients. The comparative efficacy of TAVR and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in intermediate risk AS patients has been less well studied. The PARTNER 2 randomized trial […]

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Von Willebrand Factor Multimers during Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement

Patients with stenotic or regurgitant aortic valve disease appear to cleave multimers of Von Willebrand factor (HMW-multimer), presumably due to high-shear stresses and non-laminar flow. Van Belle and colleagues hypothesized that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) would correct this process, but that significant residual paravalvular leak (PVL) following TAVR would abrogate this corrective effect. Moderate […]

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Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in intermediate risk patients

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has had a major impact on both morbidity and mortality in high-risk and inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis. Robust evidence has supported widespread adoption in this patient group but uncertainty exists as to whether TAVI may also achieve clinical equipoise with surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR)  in lower risk […]

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TAVR adoption and outcomes in German national practice

The advent of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has afforded an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for high-risk or non-operative candidates for aortic valve surgery.  However, the adoption of TAVR may not be limited to the patient population for who the procedure has studied and outcomes in routine clinical practice may not reflect […]

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