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Less Invasive Heart Valve Replacement Works for Elderly: Study
Posted 2 May 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, May 2 – For elderly patients with a heart valve disease known as aortic stenosis, a procedure called a transcatheter aortic-valve implantation appears safe and effective, French researchers say. Transcatheter aortic-valve implantation is a less invasive way of replacing the heart's aortic valve than traditional open-heart surgery. The procedure involves passing a replacement valve through a leg or shoulder artery and advancing it until it reaches the aortic valve, taking its place. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the technique in 2011. "Surgical aortic valve replacement is the definitive therapy for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis," said study co-author Dr. Martine Gilard, of the department of cardiology at Brest University Hospital in France. And transcatheter aortic-valve implantation "is a new therapeutic option for these patients," he said. The U.S. ... Read more
Related support groups: Prosthetic Heart Valves, Aortic Stenosis, Valvular Heart Disease
FDA OKs Heart Valve That Does Not Require Open-Heart Surgery
Posted 3 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 3 – The first artificial heart valve that can be implanted without open-heart surgery has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve is designed to replace an aortic heart valve damaged by senile aortic valve stenosis, a progressive and age-related illness caused by calcium deposits that cause the valve to narrow. One expert called the advent of the device "a revolutionary breakthrough" in terms of expanding access for sick or frail patients. "This new approach to valve replacement is designed for the elderly and the highest risk patients who are inoperable – or nearly inoperable – by conventional criteria," said Dr. Gregory Crooke, assistant director of cardiothoracic surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City, which is already offering the device to select patients. "As has been shown in trials, it should ... Read more
Related support groups: Aortic Stenosis, Valvular Heart Disease
Artificial Heart Valve Doesn't Require Open-Heart Surgery
Posted 3 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 3 – The first artificial heart valve that can replace a diseased aortic valve without requiring open-heart surgery has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A patient's aortic valve can be damaged by stenosis, a narrowing of the valve caused by the buildup of calcium deposits. The heart must then work harder to pump blood through the diseased valve, which could lead to symptoms including fainting, chest pain, heart failure, irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrest. More than half of the people with these symptoms die within two years, the FDA said in a news release. Traditionally, replacement of this valve has required open-heart surgery. But the newly approved Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) allows doctors to implant it using a tube-shaped device called a delivery catheter, via a small incision in the leg. The catheter is slightly wider than a ... Read more
Related support groups: Aortic Stenosis, Valvular Heart Disease