Treatment of failed bioprostheses is a clinical challenge. Although re-operation is considered the standard of care, these patients are frequently elderly with other medical conditions, and repeat cardiac surgery can pose significant illness and risk of death. [s]Health News Digest[/s] writes that transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve implantation is a less invasive approach, however a comprehensive evaluation of post-procedure survival had not previously been performed. ‘The current analysis highlights the need for meticulous evaluation of bioprosthesis mechanism of failure before attempting a valve-in-valve procedure,’ the authors write.
[link url=http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Heart_Health_410/Study-Estimates-Rate-of-Survival-Following-Minimally-Invasive-Repair-of-Failed-Bioprosthetic-Aortic-Valves.shtml]Full Health News Digest report[/link]
[link url=http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1886189]JAMA full study[/link]