All articles tagged with #aortic stenosis
A 65-year-old woman in Austria was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called alkaptonuria after presenting with severe aortic stenosis and unusual black pigmentation in her heart tissues, which was treated successfully with surgery. The condition involves the buildup of homogentisic acid, leading to tissue staining and calcification, and is often underdiagnosed due to its rarity.
Follow-up data from the PARTNER 3 and Evolut trials presented at TCT 2023 showed that transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains a safe and effective treatment option for low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. The PARTNER 3 trial demonstrated no significant difference in the risk of death, stroke, or rehospitalizations between TAVI and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) at 5 years. However, there was an attenuation of the differences in the primary composite endpoint beyond 1 year, and numerically more deaths were observed in the TAVI group. In contrast, the Evolut Low Risk trial showed that TAVI with a self-expanding bioprosthesis was noninferior to SAVR in terms of all-cause mortality and disabling stroke at 4 years, with a sustained benefit and increasing advantage over time. The differences in outcomes between the two trials highlight the need for cautious interpretation and further investigation.