OBJECTIVES Whether to repair or replace the mitral valve for patients with significant mitral regurgitation undergoing aortic valve replacement is still controversial. METHODS From January 1990 to December 2011, a total of 663 patients underwent aortic valve replacement combined with mitral valve surgery. Among these, 253 patients (mean age 55.9 ± 14.5 years, 91 females) with moderate-to-seve...

conclusions high risk patients needing avr are optimal candidates for transcatheter aortic valve implantation. tavi is a valuable solution for high risk patients needing avr. obtained results are comparable to results in transthoracic avr in standard candidates for aortic valve implantation. background transcatheter aortic valve implantation (tavi) has emerged as an alternative treatment to cla...

PURPOSE Mechanical valve replacement is associated with complications, however, there is little information on the quality of life (QOL) of octogenarians who had undergone mechanical valve replacement at a relatively younger age. We examined survival, valve-related events, and the QOL of octogenarians who had undergone mechanical valve replacement. METHODS A total of 56 octogenarians who unde...

Surgical treatment for aortic stenosis includes aortic valve replacement, which alleviates symptoms and increases longevity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of left ventricular dysfunction after aortic valve replacement. Left ventricular function was assessed by a retrospective review of preoperative and postoperative ejection fractions (EF) using echocardiography. The ...

Approximately 275 000 patients receive a heart valve replacement annually. Their choices and the choices of their surgeons are limited to either a metal valve replacement or a preserved (typically allogeneic or xenogeneic) tissue valve replacement. These patients are then subject to the morbidity associated with anticoagulation when mechanical valves are used or the limited durability of a biol...

This review examines the treatment options for women with severe aortic stenosis. It is known that female sex is associated with poorer outcomes after surgical aortic valve replacement. With the introduction and adoption of transcatheter aortic valve replacement as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement, there are emerging data about the potential impact of female sex-specific char...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to describe the feasibility of a novel transcatheter approach for mitral valve replacement using only venous access. BACKGROUND Failure of mitral valve prostheses necessitating reoperation can represent a high-risk clinical scenario. Although repeat cardiac surgery remains the standard of care for most failed mitral valve operations, nascent transcatheter o...

OBJECTIVE Neurocognitive deficit is an important complication in patients undergoing open heart surgery. The aim of this prospective, contemporary study was to objectively measure neurocognitive brain function following mechanical mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair. METHODS Forty consecutive, unselected patients (mechanical valve replacement n=20, mean age 65+/-14; valve repair ...