George Trantalis

Multi-slice CT (MSCT) imaging in pretrans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) screening. How to perform and how to interpret

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease among elderly. Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an established and effective alternative therapeutical procedure for inoperable and high-risk patients with symptomatic AS. The procedural success is greatly dependent on a thorough pre-TAVI imaging screening. This requires a comprehensive and multi-modality approach, in which multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) is the cornerstone in the selection of eligible patients, in choosing the appropriate prosthesis and size, and in mapping the safest access route for the intervention. From our experience of more than 400 TAVI procedures and many more MSCTs for screening purposes, we provide clinical and technical details on the use of MSCT pre-TAVI and brief review of the knowledge so far.

THE EFFECT OF MIXED AORTIC VALVE DISEASE IN CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

Background: The significance of aortic regurgitation in patients with severe aortic stenosis is well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding valve.

Editorial on PEGASUS — TIMI 54

Article history: Received 17 December 2015 Received in revised form 23 March 2016 Accepted 27 March 2016 Available online 6 April 2016 death, as compared with clopidogrel at a dose of 75 mg once daily [8]. It is recommended over clopidogrel in both European and American ACS guidelines [2,3]. In the PEGASUS— TIMI trial, 21,162 patients who had had amyocardial infarction 1 to 3 years earlier and at least one additional atherothrombotic risk factor, underwent randomization to three arms, all on a background of low-dose aspirin: ticagrelor at a dose of 90 mg