http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The cost effectiveness of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVR) compared to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) depends on whether TAVR is performed via the femoral artery or transapically, through a small incision in the chest, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-results-partner-trial-cohort-effectiveness.html Cardiology Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:48 EST news240166835 Results of the PARTNER Cohort A QOL study demonstrate that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) results in improved quality of life compared with surgical valve replacement, but only when performed via the transfemoral approach. The results of the study were presented today at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-quality-life-benefits-transcatheter-aortic.html Cardiology Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:14 EST news240166803 A two-year study of patients in the landmark PARTNER trial, which compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are not candidates for open heart surgery, confirm the one-year findings and support the role of TAVR as the standard of care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-results-partner-trial-cohort-year.html Cardiology Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:59:36 EST news240166739 Among individuals 65 years and older, as many as 30 percent have aortic valve sclerosis or stenosis and as a result of their deteriorating health, they cannot enjoy a normal lifestyle. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-prosthesis-advanced-aortic-valve-disease.html Cardiology Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:46:37 EST news236616387 Mitral regurgitation is a common heart valve disorder, where blood flows backwards through the mitral valve when the heart contracts and reduces the amount of blood that is pumped out to the body. It is a serious condition with many foundational causes. Now, a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has for the first time linked atrial fibrillation (AF) to some cases of mitral regurgitation (MR). The new study is published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-atrial-fibrillation-root-severe-mitral.html Cardiology Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:40:01 EST news235906247 While the incidence of the life-threatening condition of aortic dissection is significantly higher than in the general population, it remains low among patients with the congenital heart defect, bicuspid aortic valve; however, the incidence of aortic aneurysms is significantly high, according to a study in the September 14 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-aortic-complications-patients-common-congenital.html Cardiology Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:50:47 EST news235155007 Since 2007 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) has become an alternative treatment for elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. At present, durability and hemodynamic performance of transcatheter aortic valves remain unclear. Our single center data of the German Heart Center in Munich demonstrates a sustained improvement of hemodynamic performance up to 3 years after CoreValve implantation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-hemodynamic-results-transcatheter-aortic-valve.html Cardiology Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:38:32 EST news233923080 Results from a study presented today at the ESC Congress 2011, show that TAVI implantation in low risk patients, met with 100% procedural success (versus 95.3% in the high Euroscore group (p=0.1). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-transcatheter-aortic-valve-implantation-edwards.html Cardiology Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:38:21 EST news233912258 Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is increasing in frequency as the population ages. For a subset of patients in whom surgical conventional aortic valve replacement is excluded due to severe co-morbidities, an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement – transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI)- has emerged with a first-in-man case performed in France in 2002 by Pr. Alain Cribier. Since 2002, TAVI has undergone many modifications from first generation devices, and the technique is now performed routinely in selected centres to treat patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are ineligible or at high-risk for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement. Two transcatheter heart valves, the "Edwards Sapien valve" and the Medtronic Corevalve" are available in Europe. More than 30,000 procedures have been performed worldwide in the last decade. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-gender-differences-clinical-outcome-transcatheter.html Cardiology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:44:42 EST news233837050 Results of an observational study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting today in Paris demonstrate that the percutaneous catheter-based MitraClip treatment improves symptoms and promotes reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR), who do not respond to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-mitraclip-therapy-benefits-heart-failure.html Cardiology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:28:15 EST news233836009 For more than 15 years, Kansas State University researcher Michele Borgarelli has studied heart diseases in man's best friend. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-tale-heart-professor-cardiovascular-disease.html Other Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:20:01 EST news231591815 (Medical Xpress) -- Heart experts at Johns Hopkins have begun testing a new device designed to replace blocked aortic valves in patients for whom traditional open-heart surgery is considered too risky, such as elderly patients and those with other serious medical conditions. The testing is part of a nationwide study to evaluate the device, which is deployed in a minimally invasive way. The first two Maryland patients to receive the device had it put in place by Johns Hopkins doctors on July 8, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-minimally-invasive-treatment-blocked-heart.html Cardiology Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:42:15 EST news229768915 (Medical Xpress) -- An innovative approach for implanting a new aortic heart valve without open-heart surgery is being offered at Rush University Medical Center to patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high-risk or not suitable candidates for open heart valve replacement surgery.  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-option-patients-untreatable-non-perative-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:45:13 EST news228483896 An innovative approach for implanting a new aortic heart valve without open-heart surgery is being offered at Rush University Medical Center to patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high-risk or not suitable candidates for open heart valve replacement surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-heart-valve-chest-option-non-operable.html Cardiology Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:12:45 EST news228143551 Tracey and Tim Sheehan had run out of options for their son, Ryan, who was born with a complex set of heart defects. His great arteries came from the wrong sides of the heart, his lower chambers were switched, there was a hole between his ventricles and he had a bad mitral valve. He had already undergone three open-heart surgeries to save his life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-recovery-complicated-surgery-teen-lot.html Cardiology Fri, 13 May 2011 09:10:07 EST news224496595 A gene known to be important in cardiac development has been newly associated with congenital heart malformations that result in obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. These are the findings from a study conducted by Nationwide Children's Hospital and appearing in the journal Birth Defects Research Part A. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-gene-specific-congenital-heart-defects.html Genetics Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:26:40 EST news223291468 (PhysOrg.com) -- Veronica Smith, 26, of Sierra Vista was the first person in Arizona to receive a new pulmonary valve without having open-heart surgery. The procedure took place at University Medical Center. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-procedure-umc-pulmonary-valve-open-heart.html Other Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:59:12 EST news222332327