Transcatheter interventions for structural heart diseases: Present and future

Interventions to treat structural heart diseases are widely expanding. While valuable research is running to introduce new technologies, this thesis aimed at refinement of established techniques. The concepts sought to be emphasized were: 1) optimizing patient selection to improve outcomes, 2) applying evidence-based approaches to predict the likelihood of adequate and durable clinical improvement and reverse cardiac remodeling, 3) using multimodality imaging to optimize anatomical planning, and 4) insightful studying of the device-host interaction using dedicated imaging methods. Three patterns of adverse device-host interaction were addressed, namely: improper adaptation to the landing zone anatomy leading to paravalvular leakage of transcatheter aortic valves, infective endocarditis of transcatheter pulmonary valves, and inter-atrial device mechanical interaction with the aorta. Additionally, a futuristic technology based on the concept of “endogenous tissue restoration” is being described which aims at minimization of these adverse device-host interaction

Transcatheter interventions for structural heart diseases: Present and future

Interventions to treat structural heart diseases are widely expanding. While valuable research is running to introduce new technologies, this thesis aimed at refinement of established techniques. The concepts sought to be emphasized were: 1) optimizing patient selection to improve outcomes, 2) applying evidence-based approaches to predict the likelihood of adequate and durable clinical improvement and reverse cardiac remodeling, 3) using multimodality imaging to optimize anatomical planning, and 4) insightful studying of the device-host interaction using dedicated imaging methods. Three patterns of adverse device-host interaction were addressed, namely: improper adaptation to the landing zone anatomy leading to paravalvular leakage of transcatheter aortic valves, infective endocarditis of transcatheter pulmonary valves, and inter-atrial device mechanical interaction with the aorta. Additionally, a futuristic technology based on the concept of “endogenous tissue restoration” is being described which aims at minimization of these adverse device-host interaction