March 2nd, 2012
Four Cardiovascular Societies Release Criteria for TAVR Programs and Operators
Larry Husten, PHD
A newly released statement contains detailed recommendations about the requirements necessary for hospitals and physicians to participate in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) programs. The expert consensus document was released jointly by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and the Society for Thoracic […]
February 28th, 2012
Slow Uptake of Transcatheter Aortic Valves: Learning from History?
Larry Husten, PHD
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been one of the most exciting new developments in cardiovascular medicine in recent years. The growing enthusiasm over TAVR led to concern and even alarm in some quarters that its introduction would ignite a stampede of uptake, mirroring the early over-enthusiasm for similarly disruptive devices like stents and ICDs […]
February 3rd, 2012
CMS Releases Details of Proposed National Coverage for TAVR
Larry Husten, PHD
On Thursday the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo containing details of its proposed Medicare coverage for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The memo is a response to a formal request for national coverage determination (NCD) from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The memo will be open […]
January 31st, 2012
Guiding TAVR into Clinical Practice
Steven Bailey, MD, Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
The ACC, AATS, SCAI, and STS have issued a critical consensus document to guide the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as it enters clinical practice in the U.S. (see also our CardioExchange news coverage here). CardioExchange Interventional Cardiology moderators Rick Lange and David Hillis posed the following questions to writing committee member Steven R Bailey, the Janey Briscoe Distinguished Professor of […]
January 31st, 2012
Consensus Document Provides Roadmap to Uptake of TAVR in U.S.
Larry Husten, PHD
Following the recent FDA approval of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the ACC, AATS, SCAI, and STS — in conjunction with several other medical organizations — have released a critical consensus document to guide use of the new landmark procedure. “We have tried to collate the evidence into a coherent road map for judicious use, rational dispersion, […]
December 14th, 2011
Study Examines New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After TAVI
Larry Husten, PHD
The broad enthusiasm for TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) as it enters the marketplace has been partially offset by concerns about an increased risk for stroke associated with the procedure. The role of one major cause of stroke, atrial fibrillation (AF), has not been the subject of close scrutiny. Now a study from Quebec, published in […]
December 1st, 2011
ACC and STS Announce Launch of TAVR Registry
Larry Husten, PHD
Following the approval of the first device for transcathether aortic valve replacement therapy (TAVR) earlier this month, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have announced the launch of the TVT Registry, a joint initiative that will monitor the rollout of the new technology. The registry was created in response to the […]
November 14th, 2011
Stenosis vs. Stroke: Is Treatment Worth the Risk?
Eiman Jahangir, MD
Several Cardiology Fellows who are attending AHA.11 this week are blogging together on CardioExchange. The Fellows include Revathi Balakrishnan, Eiman Jahangir, John Ryan (moderator), and Amit Shah. Read the previous post here. Check back often to learn about the biggest buzz in Orlando. On Sunday morning, I feel like the conference has really begun. I am sitting […]
November 11th, 2011
Shaky Start Ends STACCATO
L. David Hillis, MD and Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA
The STACCATO trial planned to randomize 200 low-risk patients to transcatheter aortic heart valve implantation (TAVI) via the transapical approach (with the Sapien valve from Edwards Lifesciences) or surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). The primary endpoint was a composite of death, stroke, and renal failure at one month. After enrolling only 70 patients (34 TAVI […]
November 11th, 2011
TAVI at TCT: Enthusiasm Tempered by Poor Transapical Outcomes
Larry Husten, PHD
Continued enthusiasm for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the Edwards’ Sapien device was tempered somewhat by poor outcomes observed in the group of patients for whom the procedure was performed using the transapical instead of the transfemoral approach. Results of 3 new studies from the PARTNER trials and a controversial new trial, STACCATO, were […]
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