Five-year results suggest that surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is associated with lower rates of mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) than transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) performed using first-generation devices in low- and intermediate-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Cardiac Dimensions has announced in a press release that its Carillon Mitral Contour System has now been implanted in 1,000 patients in the USA, Europe, Australia, Turkey, and the Middle East. The Carillon System is a right-heart transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) device designed to treat the primary cause of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) in patients with MR grades 2+, 3+ and 4+. The 1,000th system was implanted during a live case at CSI Frankfurt 2019.

When new rules capped training hours for medical residents at 80 hours per week in 2003, critics worried that the change would leave physicians-in-training unprepared for the challenges of independent practice. New research, published today in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and led by scientists in the Department of Health Care Policy in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, shows that these warnings were largely unjustified.

Gore has announced the first US implant of its Gore TAG conformable thoracic stent graft with ACTIVE CONTROL system. The successful procedure was performed by William Jordan, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Bradley Leshnower, cardiothoracic surgeon, at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, USA. This first case follows the recent US Food and Drug Administration approval for this new device.

After receiving reports of difficulty tracking and manipulating the Centera transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system around the aortic arch, Edwards Lifesciences has issued an urgent safety notice. The notice states that these difficulties have “resulted in vascular injury including aortic dissection and death during early cases”.

Data from the MeRes-1 and MeRes-1 Extend clinical trials, released at EuroPCR 2019 (20–24 May, Paris, France), demonstrate sustained efficacy and safety for the recently CE-approved MeRes100 (Meril) bioresorbable scaffold (BRS).

PASCAL’s (Edwards Lifesciences) safety and efficacy may rival that of MitraClip (Abbott) for the treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR), according to data published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. 

Admedus has announced positive data from an independent study into the performance of its tissue engineered bovine pericardial implant CardioCel, which is used in the repair of congenital heart defects in children.

Valix Medical has received a US patent—10,278,820 (percutaneous valve repair and replacement)—for its heart valve repair and replacement technology. A press release reports that the company is developing transcatheter solutions for patients suffering from valvular heart disease and heart failure.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has released evidence-based recommendations on the percutaneous insertion of a cerebral protection device to prevent cerebral embolism during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

New data for the PASCAL system (Edwards Lifesciences), which received the CE mark in February 2019 for the management of mitral regurgitation, suggest it may have a role in the management of tricuspid regurgitation. During the first-ever late-breaking trial session at TVT 2019 (12-15 June, Chicago, USA), Neil P Fam (Division of Cardiology, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada) outlined a multicentre experience of compassionate use of the PASCAL system for patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation.

Speaking during an innovation session at TVT 2019 (12-15 June, Chicago, USA), Mark Hensey (Centre for Heart Valve Innovation, St Paul’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) outlined the early experience with a purpose-designed temporary pacing guidewire (Wattson, Teleflex). He said the wire delivered “safe and effective pacing” for both aortic and tricuspid positions.