Rate-corrected left ventricular ejection time was measured from the aortic pressure tracings of 171 catheterised patients with aortic valve area less than or equal to 1.2 cm2. In 50 patients with pure aortic stenosis, left ventricular ejection time in increased with decreasing valve area and was significantly higher (468 +/- 5 ms, mean +/- SEM) than in 13 normal subjects (435 +/- 5 ms). Additio...

The introduction of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis. Data from the recent U.S CoreValve Trial suggest, for the first time, that TAVI is associated with a significantly higher rate of survival at one year compared to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in the treatment of high-risk patie...

FEBRUARY 2004 I ENDOVASCULAR TODAY I 31 D uring the last 2 decades, percutaneous endovascular therapies have revolutionized the treatment of coronary artery disease. However, the development and dissemination of percutaneous approaches to heart valve disease have been less rapid. Whereas rheumatic mitral stenosis and congenital aortic stenosis are effectively managed by balloon valvuloplasty in...

Severe aortic stenosis in pregnancy has been known to have a high maternal and perinatal mortality, documented at 17 and 32%, respectively, in 1978. More recent reviews still indicate significant maternal morbidity and unfavourable fetal outcomes. Severe aortic stenosis with or without symptoms leads the table of ‘high maternal and fetal risk’ in valvular heart disease in pregnancy. We report t...

A 55-year-old man with a history of erosive, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and interstitial lung disease presented with shortness of breath. Echocardiography showed new-onset severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction with an ejection fraction (EF) of 15% and moderately increased mean aortic valve gradient of 20 mmHg in a trileaflet aortic valve with severe sclero-calcific degeneration....

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Low-gradient severe aortic stenosis with preserved ejection fraction is a controversial entity. Misclassification of valvulopathy severity could explain the inconsistencies reported in the prognosis of these patients. Planimetry of the aortic area using three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography could clear up these doubts. The objectives were to assess the a...

The valvular disease usually involves two conditions: valvular stenosis and valvular insufficiency. Valvular stenosis occurs when a valve opening is smaller than normal due to stiff or fused leaflets. The narrowed opening may make the heart work very hard to pump blood through it. This can lead to heart failure. All four valves can be stenotic (hardened, restricting blood flow); the conditions ...

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an alternative to open heart surgery in patients with aortic stenosis. However, long-term data on a programmatic approach to aortic valve implantation remain sparse. METHODS AND RESULTS Transcatheter aortic valve implantation was performed in 168 patients (median age, 84 years) in the setting of severe aortic stenosis and high surgical ris...

Calcific aortic stenosis is a frequent degenerative disease, which represents the most common indication for adult heart valve surgery, and carries substantial morbidity and mortality. Due to ageing populations in western countries, its prevalence is expected to increase in the coming years. Basic science studies suggest that the progression of aortic valve stenosis involves an active biologica...

Calcific Aortic Valve Disease (CAVD) occurs in >2% of the population over 65 years of age and often leads to valvular stenosis that necessitates valve replacement [1]. CAVD is a pro‐ gressive disease, often manifesting first as aortic valve sclerosis and later developing into stenosis and valve dysfunction [2]. The specific molecular and cellular mechanisms of CAVD initiation and advancement ar...