João L. Cavalcante

Role of echocardiography in percutaneous mitral valve interventions.

Intraprocedural imaging continues to evolve in parallel with advances in percutaneous mitral valve interventions. This didactic review uses several illustrations and rich intraprocedural videos to further describe and demonstrate the role of the most up-to-date echocardiographic and advanced imaging technologies in the patient selection and intraprocedural guidance of percutaneous mitral valve interventions. We will focus on 3 interventions: 1) percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty for mitral stenosis; 2) transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of mitral valve regurgitation; and 3) transcatheter closure of periprosthetic mitral regurgitation. In addition, we discuss potential pitfalls of 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and show examples of this technique.

Association of Epicardial Fat, Hypertension, Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease, and Metabolic Syndrome With Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction

Epicardial fat is a metabolically active fat depot that is strongly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease (CAD). The relation of epicardial fat to diastolic function is unknown. We sought to (1) understand the relation of epicardial fat volume (EFV) to diastolic function and (2) understand the role of EFV in relation to potential risk factors (hypertension, subclinical CAD, and metabolic syndrome) of diastolic dysfunction in apparently healthy subjects with preserved systolic function and no history of CAD. We studied 110 consecutive subjects (65% men, 55 ± 13 years old, mean body mass index 28 ± 5 kg/m(2)) who underwent cardiac computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiography within 6 months as part of a self-referred health screening program. Exclusion criteria included history of CAD, significant valvular disease, systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction <50%). Diastolic function was defined according to American Society of Echocardiography guidelines. EFV was measured using validated cardiac computed tomographic software by 2 independent cardiologists blinded to clinical and echocardiographic data. Hypertension and metabolic syndrome were present in 60% and 45%, respectively. Subclinical CAD was identified in 20% of the cohort. Diastolic dysfunction was present in 45 patients. EFV was an independent predictor of diastolic dysfunction, mean peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity, and ratio of early diastolic filling to peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity (p = 0.01, <0.0001, and 0.001, respectively) with incremental contribution to other clinical factors. In conclusion, EFV is an independent predictor of impaired diastolic function in apparently healthy overweight patients even after accounting for associated co-morbidities such as metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and subclinical CAD.

Preventive cardiologyAssociation of Epicardial Fat, Hypertension, Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease, and Metabolic Syndrome With Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction

Epicardial fat is a metabolically active fat depot that is strongly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease (CAD). The relation of epicardial fat to diastolic function is unknown. We sought to (1) understand the relation of epicardial fat volume (EFV) to diastolic function and (2) understand the role of EFV in relation to potential risk factors (hypertension, subclinical CAD, and metabolic syndrome) of diastolic dysfunction in apparently healthy subjects with preserved systolic function and no history of CAD. We studied 110 consecutive subjects (65% men, 55 ± 13 years old, mean body mass index 28 ± 5 kg/m(2)) who underwent cardiac computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiography within 6 months as part of a self-referred health screening program. Exclusion criteria included history of CAD, significant valvular disease, systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction <50%). Diastolic function was defined according to American Society of Echocardiography guidelines. EFV was measured using validated cardiac computed tomographic software by 2 independent cardiologists blinded to clinical and echocardiographic data. Hypertension and metabolic syndrome were present in 60% and 45%, respectively. Subclinical CAD was identified in 20% of the cohort. Diastolic dysfunction was present in 45 patients. EFV was an independent predictor of diastolic dysfunction, mean peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity, and ratio of early diastolic filling to peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity (p = 0.01, <0.0001, and 0.001, respectively) with incremental contribution to other clinical factors. In conclusion, EFV is an independent predictor of impaired diastolic function in apparently healthy overweight patients even after accounting for associated co-morbidities such as metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and subclinical CAD.

Cardiac Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Evaluation of Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Disease: Implications for Transcatheter Interventions

Transcatheter interventions to treat mitral and tricuspid valve disease are becoming increasingly available because of the growing number of elderly patients with significant comorbidities or high operative risk. Thorough clinical and imaging evaluation in these patients is essential. The latter involves both characterization of the mechanism and severity of valvular disease as well as determining the hemodynamic consequences and extent of ventricular remodeling, which is an important predictor of future outcomes. Moreover, an assessment of the suitability and risk of complications associated with device-specific therapies is also an important component of the preprocedural evaluation in this cohort. Although echocardiography including 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional methods has an important role in the initial assessment and procedural guidance, cross-sectional imaging, including both computed tomographic imagning and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, is increasingly being integrated into the evaluation of mitral and tricuspid valve disease. In this review, we discuss the role of cross-sectional imaging in mitral and tricuspid valve disease, primarily valvular regurgitation assessment, with an emphasis on the preprocedural evaluation and implications for transcatheter interventions.

Congenital Absence of the Left Atrial Appendage

A 73-year-old woman with no history of cardiac surgery presented with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. A transesophageal echocardiogram was scheduled to exclude thrombus before cardioversion. No obvious intracardiac thrombus was identified, but the patient could not be cleared for cardioversion because the left atrial appendage (LAA) had not been visualized, raising concerns for either a flush occlusion with thrombus or a small ectopic appendage (Figure 1 and online-only Data Supplement Videos I-IV). Contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography revealed moderate biatrial enlargement without intracardiac thrombus and confirmed a diagnosis of …

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Structural and Valvular Heart Disease Interventions

The field of percutaneous interventions for the treatment of structural and valvular heart diseases has been expanding rapidly in the last 5 years. Noninvasive cardiac imaging has been a critical part of the planning, procedural guidance, and follow-up of these procedures. Although echocardiography and cardiovascular computed tomography are the most commonly used and studied imaging techniques in this field today, advances in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging continue to provide important contributions in the comprehensive assessment and management of these patients. In this comprehensive paper, we will review and demonstrate how cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging can be used to assist in diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up of patients who are being considered for and/or who have undergone interventions for structural and valvular heart diseases.

Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Surgical Valve Replacement in Patients at High Risk for Surgery: A Study of Echocardiographic Change and Risk Prediction.

Background—The CoreValve US High-Risk Clinical Study compared clinical outcomes and serial echocardiographic findings in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding bioprosthesis or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Methods and Results—Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to TAVR with a self-expanding bioprosthesis or SAVR (N=747). Echocardiograms were obtained at baseline, discharge, 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year after the procedure and were analyzed at a central core laboratory. Compared with SAVR patients (N=357), TAVR patients (N=390) had a lower mean aortic valve gradient, larger valve area, and less patient–prosthesis mismatch (all P<0.001), but more paravalvular regurgitation at discharge, which decreased at 1 year. SAVR patients experienced significant right ventricular systolic dysfunction at discharge and 1 month with normal right ventricular function at 1 year. One-year all-cause mortality was 14.2% for TAVR and 19.1% for SAVR patients. Preimplantation aortic regurgitation ≥mild was associated with reduced mortality hazard for both the TAVR (hazard ratio 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.27–0.85; P=0.01) and the SAVR groups (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.32–0.87; P=0.01). Aortic regurgitation ≥mild after TAVR was associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 1.08–3.53; P=0.03). Conclusions—In patients with severe aortic stenosis at increased surgical risk, TAVR was associated with better systolic valve performance, similar left ventricular remodeling, more paravalvular regurgitation, and less right ventricular systolic dysfunction compared with SAVR. Despite an overall mortality reduction for the TAVR group, ≥mild aortic valve regurgitation after TAVR was associated with an increased mortality hazard. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01240902.

Clinical and Echocardiographic Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery in Obese Patients With Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Background—Obesity is a risk factor for development of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and can complicate LVSD management, especially for individuals in whom cardiac transplantation is indicated. Bariatric surgery is increasingly recognized as a safe and effective intervention to achieve marked weight loss, but experience is limited in the LVSD population. Methods and Results—We retrospectively reviewed patients with obesity and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50% who underwent bariatric surgery at a tertiary center 2004 to 2013. An analysis of outcomes and efficacy compared 42 surgical patients with LVSD to 2588 without known LVSD. The LVSD group had greater baseline prevalence of comorbidities and showed a slight excess of early postoperative heart failure and myocardial infarction. However, patients with LVSD achieved good weight loss efficacy (mean decrease 22.6%) and no excess in mortality at 1 year. An overlapping cohort of 38 patients with LVSD had both pre- and postoperative echocardiographic images available for review by 2 blinded readers. Obese nonsurgical controls were matched on age, sex, initial LVEF, and interval between echocardiograms. There was a mean pre- to postoperative LVEF improvement of +5.1% ±8.3 (P=0.0005) for surgical subjects, but not for controls (+3.4%±10.5, P=0.056). Among surgical subjects, 11 patients had an LVEF improvement of >10%, whereas only 6 improved by >10% among nonsurgical controls. Conclusions—At experienced centers, bariatric surgery may be a safe and effective intervention for obese patients with LVSD. Bariatric surgery was associated with an improvement in LVEF, although the magnitude of change was on the cusp of clinical significance.

Early Recovery of Left Ventricular Systolic Function After CoreValve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background—Approximately one third of patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis have reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The incidence, predictors, and significance of early LVEF recovery after CoreValve transcatheter aortic valve replacement have not been described. Methods and Results—We studied 156 patients from the CoreValve Extreme and High-Risk trials with LVEF ⩽40% at baseline who had 30-day LVEF data. All patients underwent core laboratory echocardiographic assessment of LVEF at baseline, post procedure, discharge, 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year. Early LVEF recovery was defined as an absolute increase of ≥10% in EF at 30 days. One-year outcomes were compared between patients with and without early recovery. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of early recovery. Early LVEF recovery occurred in 62% of patients, generally before discharge. By 30 days LVEF increased >17% compared with baseline in the early recovery group with minimal increase in the no–early recovery group (48.9±8.8% versus 31.5±6.9%; P<0.001). One-year all-cause mortality was numerically (but not statistically) higher in the no–early recovery group (24% versus 12%; P=0.07). Absence of previous myocardial infarction (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.19–1.03) and baseline mean gradient ≥40 mm Hg (odds ratio, 4.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.76–11.96) were identified as predictors of early LVEF recovery. Conclusions—Nearly two thirds of patients with reduced LVEF will have a marked early improvement after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Early LVEF recovery is associated with improved clinical outcomes and is most likely among patients with higher baseline aortic valve gradients and no previous myocardial infarction. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01240902.

A pathoanatomic approach to the management of mitral regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation remains the most common global valvular heart disease. From otherwise unsuspecting healthy patients without overt symptoms to those with recalcitrant heart failure, mitral valve (MV) disease touches millions of patients per year. While MV prolapse without regurgitation remains benign, once regurgitation begins, quantification of severity is related to prognosis. Understanding the mechanism of regurgitation guides appropriate treatment. Current management guidelines emphasize early therapy after careful assessment of both anatomy and severity of mitral regurgitation. The objective of this review is to provide an update on the treatment of MV disease and to offer additional granularity on pathoanatomic decision making that may aid a more precise application of optimal guideline-directed therapy of primary and secondary mitral regurgitation.