Luminaries in Structural Heart

Angel Caldera, MD, interviews Paul Mahoney, MD, on TAV-in-SAV for failed bioprosthetic valves. They review patient selection, valve sizing, and coronary obstruction risk using CT planning. The discussion highlights leaflet modification, stroke considerations, anticoagulation strategies, and the ever-evolving balance between redo surgery and transcatheter approaches.

Dr. Lucas Seibolt and Dr. Rony Lahoud examine the complexities of treating bicuspid aortic valve disease in the TAVR era. This episode dives into anatomical considerations, procedural nuances, and emerging data—offering insights to help clinicians navigate one of the field’s most persistent challenges.

Join Sarah Kennedy and Jessica Kiszka as they explore best practices for optimizing post-TAVR care. From discharge planning to long-term follow-up, this episode highlights practical strategies to improve patient outcomes, streamline workflows, and support lifetime management in today’s evolving structural heart landscape.

In this episode, Dr. Kendra Grubb and Dr. Janine Eckstein take a closer look at the unique challenges faced by women with aortic stenosis (AS) and explore how transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is transforming outcomes for female patients. They dive into the disparities in clinical outcomes between women undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) versus TAVR, and share their insights on how tailored approaches to care can help improve patient outcomes.

For additional context, check out this meta-analysis by Panoulas VF et al., which highlights how women have historically shown worse clinical outcomes with surgery compared to TAVR.

Tune in to hear Dr. Grubb and Dr. Eckstein’s perspectives on this important topic and learn how advancements in structural heart therapies are helping to address gender-specific challenges in treating AS.

In this episode of the Structural Heart Podcast: Luminaries Series, host Dr. Daniel O’Hair welcomes Dr. Daniel Spoon, a unique voice in the field of interventional cardiology, to discuss the often-overlooked mental stress faced by interventional cardiologists. The conversation delves into the high-pressure nature of cardiovascular interventions, where physicians must navigate unpredictable emergencies, long hours, and life-and-death situations—all while maintaining composure and precision. Dr. Spoon shares his unique journey from orthopedic surgery to interventional cardiology, highlighting the emotional and psychological demands of the profession and the strategies he has developed to manage them.

The discussion explores burnout, work-life balance, and the importance of mental resilience in sustaining a long and fulfilling career. Dr. Spoon draws from sports psychology principles to explain how managing stress, maintaining self-awareness, and fostering team cohesion can enhance performance and well-being. The episode also emphasizes the need for better mental health training in medical education, equipping future physicians with the tools to handle stress effectively. Ultimately, this episode serves as a candid and insightful reflection on the challenges of modern cardiology and the mindset required to thrive in this demanding field. UC202506521 EN.

 

 

 

Join hosts Dr. Dan O'Hair and Dr. Suzanne Baron in this compelling episode as they engage with esteemed guests Dr. Howard Herrmann and Dr. Michael Reardon, principal investigators of the SMART and Evolut Low Risk trials, respectively. 

Together, they explore the evolving landscape of structural heart interventions, analyzing groundbreaking data, clinical implications, and the future of patient care. From trial design to real-world applications, Dr. Herrmann and Dr. Reardon share firsthand insights into the science shaping tomorrow’s standards in cardiology.

Whether you're a clinician, researcher, or simply passionate about cardiovascular innovation, this episode delivers invaluable perspectives straight from the frontlines of clinical discovery.

This podcast episode features our host, Dr. Kendra Grubb, conversing with our guest, Dr. Ashok Seth, a renowned interventional cardiologist. Dr. Seth discusses his pioneering work introducing TAVR and other interventional technology to India and Asia over the past 30 years.
Dr. Seth performed the first TAVR CoreValve self-expandable in India in 2004, marking a significant milestone in interventional cardiology. Social attitudes and a lack of reimbursement are additional barriers to TAVI adoption among the elderly in India; India has a unique patient population with more bicuspid cases and smaller annuli, which influences valve choice during procedures. Dr. Seth emphasizes tailoring valve selection to patient anatomy and lifetime management needs.
The podcast also touches on the future of structural heart interventions, with Dr. Seth expressing excitement about advancements in mitral and tricuspid valve technologies.
Dr. Seth advises emerging TAVI programs to focus on robust systems, standardized protocols, and a hub-and-spoke model for safe and effective outcomes.

In this episode, Dr. Roxana Mehran and Dr. Martha Gulati engage in a captivating discussion about how the SMART Trial is making a difference for women with aortic stenosis.[†,1] The SMART Trial is the largest, most rigorous clinical trial to date to randomize patients to the two most widely used TAVR devices, and to enroll predominantly women.[1]

Featured faculty:
Martha Gulati, MD MS FACC FAHA FASPC FESC
Director of Preventive Cardiology and Professor of Cardiology, Cedars Sinai Smidt Heart Institute
Associate Director, Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center
Associate Director, Preventive and Cardiac Rehabilitation Center
Anita Dann Friedman Endowed Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine & Research

Roxana Mehran, MD, FACC, FESC, FAHA, MSCAI
Director, Women's Heart and Vascular Center at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital
Director, The Center for Interventional Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Trials
Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Disclosures: 

Faculty for this event are consultants for Medtronic and compensated for this event.  

Dr. Gulati: I serve on advisory boards for Novartis, Esperion, New Amsterdam and Medtronic. I serve on a DSMB for Merck. All except Medtronic unrelated to our discussion 

Dr. Mehran reports institutional research payments from: Abbott, Alleviant Medical, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Concept Medical, Cordis, Elixir Medical, Faraday Pharmaceuticals, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, MedAlliance, Mediasphere Medical, Medtronic, Novartis, Protembis GmbH, RM Global Bioaccess Fund Management, Sanofi US Services, Inc. ; Personal fees from: Elixir Medical, IQVIA, Medtronic, Medscape/WebMD Global, NovoNordisk ; Equity <1% in: Elixir Medical, Stel, ControlRad (spouse) ; No Fees from: SCAI (Women in Innovations Committee Member), Faculty Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), Women as One (Founding Director) ; Honorarium: AMA - JAMA Cardiology (Associate Editor), ACC (BOT Member, SC Member CTR Program)  

TAVR risks may include, but are not limited to, death, stroke, damage to the  

arteries, bleeding, and need for permanent pacemaker. 

†Evolut™ TAVR is indicated to treat patients who have been diagnosed with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.
1. Tchétché D, Mehran R, Blackman DJ, et al. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation by Valve Type in Women With Small Annuli: Results From the SMART Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Cardiol. Published online October 9, 2024.

 

The Medtronic CoreValve™ Evolut™ R, Evolut™ PRO+, and Evolut™ FX Systems are indicated for relief of aortic stenosis in patients with symptomatic heart disease due to severe native calcific aortic stenosis who are judged by a heart team, including a cardiac surgeon, to be appropriate for the transcatheter heart valve replacement therapy.  

The Medtronic CoreValve Evolut R, Evolut PRO+, and Evolut FX Systems are indicated for use in patients with symptomatic heart disease due to failure (stenosed, insufficient, or combined) of a surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve who are judged by a heart team, including a cardiac surgeon, to be at high or greater risk for open surgical therapy (e.g., STS predicted risk of operative mortality score ≥ 8% or at a ≥ 15% risk of mortality at 30 days).