This study reports the first successful clinical application of a robotic-assisted system in transcatheter balloon-expandable aortic valve implantation using the Edwards SAPIEN 3 valve. Two male patients, aged 60 and 63 years, respectively, presented with severe aortic stenosis confirmed by echocardiography and computed tomography, showing significant valvular calcification and elevated transvalvular pressure gradients, meeting the indications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Both procedures were performed via the right femoral artery using a robotic-assisted delivery and positioning system developed by Shanghai Surgerii Medical Technology Co., Ltd. The operator controlled the delivery system and valve positioning precisely through the console, while the assistant performed balloon expansion and valve deployment. Both procedures were completed successfully without intraoperative complications. The operative times were 75 minutes and 67 minutes, with fluoroscopy times of 16 minutes and 23 minutes, and radiation doses of 714 mGy and 971 mGy, respectively. Postoperative echocardiography demonstrated well-functioning prosthetic valves, with mean transvalvular pressure gradients of 3.9 mm Hg and 8.0 mm Hg, and none or trivial paravalvular leakage. No coronary obstruction, conduction disturbance, or vascular complications were observed. This report represents the world’s first clinical use of a robotic-assisted system for balloon-expandable TAVI. It confirms the feasibility and safety of robotic assistance in transcatheter valve delivery and positioning, offering a new approach to enhance procedural precision and stability, and providing valuable insights for the future development of intelligent, minimally invasive therapies for structural heart disease.
Objective To analyze the safety and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. Methods We prospectively collected the clinical data of 12 patients with ASD treated by ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic ASD closure in Fuwai Hospital from January to September 2017. The characteristics of the patients' ASD and operation, operation safety and effectiveness, postoperative complications and follow-up results were analyzed. Results Among the 12 patients, 10 were successfully treated with ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic ASD closure. Two patients switched to ASD repair under thoracoscopy-assisted cardiopulmonary bypass. The size of the ASD was 17-40 (27.22±8.97) mm and the size of the occluder was 36 (30-42) mm. The average postoperative length of hospital stay was 6 days. There were no complications such as arrhythmia, bleeding and pericardial effusion after operation. The average follow-up was 6 (3-10) months after the operation. During the follow-up, no Ⅲ-degree conduction block, occluder dislocation, residual shunt or cardiac pericardial effusion was found. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided thoracoscopic ASD closure is a minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment. This technique provides a new minimally invasive surgical option for patients with large defect diameter and poor edge condition.
According to new clinical evidence, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) updated and published 2021 ESC/EACTS guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. This new guideline gives recommendation for clinical assessment, internal treatment and intervention for patients with valvular heart disease with/without comorbidities, which is a globally approbatory reference for clinical practice. This article summarized the updated contents of the new guideline in terms of transcatheter therapy for valvular heart disease.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is effective in the treatment of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and its applicable population is also gradually expanding, but it carries risk of ischemic and bleeding events, which underscores the importance of optimizing adjuvant antithrombotic regimens. The release of the 2022 version of Chinese expert consensus on antithrombotic therapy after transcatheter aortic valve implantation has promoted the standardized and safe development of antithrombotic therapy after TAVR in China. Combined with the latest progress of antithrombotic therapy after TAVR, from emphasizing ischemia and bleeding risk assessment, single-agent antiplatelet therapy for patients without anticoagulation indications, the selection of antithrombotic strategies for patients with other antithrombotic indications, antithrombotic strategy changes in postoperative valve thrombosis and bleeding events, this article interprets this consensus.
ObjectiveTo summarize and analyze the clinical outcomes of one-stage transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) combined with transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) in patients with concomitant severe aortic and mitral valve disease. Methods We retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients who underwent one-stage TAVR and TMVR at Beijing Anzhen Hospital between January 2019 and May 2025. Baseline characteristics, procedural details, and perioperative echocardiographic results were recorded. Survivors were followed regularly, and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events was assessed. ResultsA total of 12 high-risk patients with concomitant severe aortic and mitral valve disease were included, comprising 7 males with a mean age of (73.3±5.4) years. Aortic valve pathology included mixed lesions (n=1), aortic regurgitation (n=8), and aortic stenosis (n=3). Among them, 7 patients had previously undergone surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. Mitral valve pathology consisted of bioprosthetic valve degeneration leading to isolated regurgitation (n=8) or mixed lesions (n=4); 11 patients had a prior surgical bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement. All patients successfully underwent one-stage TAVR combined with TMVR, with 10 procedures performed via the transapical approach, 1 via the transfemoral approach, and 1 via a combined transfemoral-transapical approach. Valve deployment was successful in all cases, with an overall device success rate of 91.7%. The median intensive care unit stay was 1.5 (IQR 1.3, 3.4) d. Early postoperative complications included 2 perioperative deaths and 2 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding, with no other major cardiovascular events observed. During follow-up, there were no deaths, permanent pacemaker implantations, and no occurrences of moderate-to-severe valve stenosis, paravalvular leak, or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Conclusion This study demonstrates that one-stage TAVR combined with TMVR is safe and effective in selected high-risk patients with concomitant severe aortic and mitral valve disease, and represents a feasible therapeutic option.
ObjectiveTo compare and analyze the clinical effects of two kinds of frame design valves after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 124 patients who underwent TAVR and were followed up for 1 year. There were 71 males and 53 females aged 75.57±6.21 years. These patients were treated with Venus-A or Edwards Sapien aortic valves. The hemodynamics and cardiac function of these two kinds of transcatheter aortic valves (THV) were evaluated by echocardiography. The 30-day mortality and 1-year clinical effect of the patients were calculated.ResultsEight-one patients used Venus-A valve and 43 patients used Edwards Sapien valve. The aortic valve transaortic pressure gradient was reduced and the rate of perivalvular leakage was low (both 2.6%) in both groups, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups. The implantation rate of permanent pacemaker was 17.3% and 11.6%, respectively. The 1-month survival (94.0% and 93.0%) and 1-year survival (94.0% and 91.0%) rates were not statistically different.ConclusionThe two groups of THV with different stent structures have good short-term clinical effect and low implantation rate of permanent pacemaker.
We reported a case of a 61-year-old female patient, six years status post her last cardiac surgery, who was admitted with a chief complaint of bilateral lower extremity edema for over a year, which had acutely worsened with associated chest pain for two days. The patient had a complex cardiac surgical history: 12 years prior, she underwent double valve replacement (aortic and mitral) plus tricuspid valvuloplasty for mitral valve prolapse with severe regurgitation and moderate-to-severe aortic regurgitation. Nine years ago, she underwent bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement and vegetation removal for prosthetic valve vegetation with severe regurgitation. Six years ago, she underwent a transapical transcatheter mitral valve replacement and mitral balloon valvuloplasty due to prosthetic mitral valve prolapse with severe regurgitation. Following evaluation during this admission, she successfully underwent a valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (ViV-TAVR). The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery. This case report aims to explore the clinical strategy and application of the ViV-TAVR technique for managing bioprosthetic valve failure in patients with a history of complex valvular surgeries.
Objective To overview the systematic reviews/meta-analyses of radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for primary liver cancer. Methods We searched China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Chongqing VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases using computers, with a search deadline of December 31, 2022 for systematic reviews/meta-analyses of radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for primary liver cancer. The AMSTAR 2 scale, PRISMA statement, and GRADE grading system were used to evaluate the reporting quality, methodological quality, and evidence level. Results A total of 13 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included, published from 2011 to 2022. The evaluation results of the AMSTAR 2 scale showed that 4 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were of low quality, while the rest were of extremely low quality, without medium to high quality systematic reviews/meta-analyses. The evaluation results of PRISMA statement showed that the scores of 9 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were 15-21, with certain reporting defects, and only 4 were relatively complete. The GRADE system evaluation of 75 evidence bodies for 9 clinical outcome indicators showed that there was no high quality of evidence, with medium quality accounting for 29%, low quality accounting for 32%, and extremely low quality accounting for 39%. Conclusions Radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization can improve the 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates of patients with primary liver cancer with medium quality of evidence. However, its impact on 5-year overall survival rate, recurrence-free survival rate, complications, and whether it is more effective for hepatocellular carcinoma with a diameter of 3-5 cm still require more high-quality clinical research and systematic evaluation to verify.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a common theraputic option for aortic stenosis, but the evidence for precise anatomy for TAVR is accumulating. This paper presents the case of an 71-year-old female patient who had an extremely high risk of coronary obstruction due to both coronary ostia lying too low. The patient underwent TAVR with the help of coronary protection successfully. During the procedure, the patient was protected with wires only for both coronaries. After deployment, angiofluoroscopy suggested that chimney stenting should be applied for left coronary. The whole procedure was unenventful and both coronaries were seen.
This article reports a case of a 70-year-old female patient who developed bioprosthetic mitral valve deterioration 4 months after her initial valve replacement surgery, manifesting as severe regurgitation and New York Heart Association Class Ⅲ. Due to the high risk of a redo open-heart surgery, she underwent a transapical transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve procedure. Intraoperatively, a J-Valve prosthesis was successfully implanted under echocardiographic and fluoroscopic guidance. Immediate transesophageal echocardiography confirmed an optimal valve position, complete resolution of regurgitation, and no significant paravalvular leak or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. She was extubated 16 hours post-procedure with significant improvement in cardiac function. Follow-up echocardiography showed normal prosthetic valve function.