Abstract Background The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) affects 0.5 to 2% of the population and is associated with valve and aortic alterations. There is a lack of studies on the profile of these patients in the Brazilian population. Objective To describe the profile of patients with BAV undergoing valve and/or aortic surgery in a tertiary cardiology center, in addition to the outcomes related to the intervention. Methods Retrospective cohort including 195 patients (mean age 54±14 years, 73.8% male) diagnosed with […]

Introduction Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a well-established procedure in reference centers worldwide and is currently accepted as the method of choice in high- and intermediate-risk patients. Although unusual, catastrophic complications can occur before or after its implantation, such as coronary obstruction, rupture of the aortic valve annulus, cardiac tamponade, significant perivalvular insufficiency and prosthesis embolization/displacement. Data from a recently published North American registry showed that 1,695 patients (2.8%) undergoing TAVI required some type of mechanical circulatory support during […]

Abstract Background Despite constant improvement and refinement of the prostheses, the decision between mechanical and biological valves for aortic valve replacement is still controversial. Objective To compare outcomes of aortic valve replacement with bioprosthesis and mechanical prosthesis. Methods This was an observational, historical cohort study with review of medical records. A total of 202 patients who underwent heart valve replacement surgery between 2004 and 2008 were selected, with a mean follow-up of 10 years. The level of significance set at […]

Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is defined as a significant reduction of the aortic valve area (aortic valve area [AVA] ≤ 1.0 cm2) associated with evidence of left ventricular hypertrophic response (aortic jet velocity > 4 m/s or mean gradient between the left ventricle and the aorta > 40 mmHg).–3 However, as Minners et al. have demonstrated, inconsistencies in echocardiographic measurements are extremely frequent in daily clinical practice. In about 30% of the cases evaluated by AS, we found AVA ≤ […]