Cardiothoracic
Conference Coverage
TAVI device shows less deterioration than surgery 5 years out
A transcatheter aortic valve – CoreValve Evolut – is associated for first time with less deterioration than surgical repair at 5 years.
Conference Coverage
Extraction of infected implanted cardiac devices rare, despite guidelines
Prompt extraction for implantable device infections is guideline recommended but not often performed.
Conference Coverage
VALOR-HCM: Novel drug may delay, avert invasive therapy in OHCM
Mavacamten looks promising as a medical alternative to highly invasive septal reduction therapy for patients with obstructive hypertrophic...
Conference Coverage
FAME 3 subanalysis adds twist to negative primary results
A quality of life subanalysis suggests PCI with fractional flow reserve might be preferred over CABG by at least some patients.
Conference Coverage
POISE-3 backs wider use of tranexamic acid in noncardiac surgery
The antifibrinolytic agent significantly reduced the risk for bleeding in a wide array of major noncardiac surgeries, suggesting an expanded role...
Guidelines
Surgery groups push back on VARC-3 valve trial definitions
A new position statement says the updated VARC-3 document on clinical endpoint definitions provides many important contributions, but “some...
FDA/CDC
Congress opens investigation into FDA’s handling of a problematic heart device
The FDA took no decisive action even as safety problems with the LVAD persisted.
Feature
Death of pig heart transplant patient is more a beginning than an end
The landmark case will have much to teach; still, it “turns back the clock” to a time when immunosuppression was especially intense “because we...
Latest News
Man who received first modified pig heart transplant dies
“This organ transplant demonstrated for the first time that a genetically modified animal heart can function like a human heart without immediate...
From the Journals
Fewer than half with severe aortic stenosis get new valves
The findings are surprising given the availability of transcatheter options and should sound the alarm for change, experts suggest.
Commentary
Organ transplantation: Unvaccinated need not apply
Pandemic-era physicians must now consider whether a politically motivated choice to decline COVID-19 vaccination should negatively affect the...