What is the role of the Heart Team in the management of valvular heart disease?
- Risk stratification including use of clinical scores
- Timing and type of treatment
- Shared treatment decision
The Heart Team evaluates the patient’s condition and collaborates on treatment decisions.
What factors are considered in the Heart Team evaluation?
- Clinical examination
- Patient’s preferences and goals
- Comorbidities / frailty
- Confirmation of disease severity
These factors help tailor the management plan to the individual patient.
How many new recommendations are included in the 2025 ESCIEACTS Guidelines?
28 new recommendations
In addition to the new recommendations, there are also 50 revised recommendations.
How many revised recommendations are included in the 2025 ESCIEACTS Guidelines?
50 revised recommendations
These revisions reflect updates based on the latest evidence and clinical practices.
What is the role of the Heart Valve Centre?
Providing guideline-directed diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with VHD
The Heart Valve Centre includes a standardized organization of care.
Who are the core members of the Heart Team?
- Cardiac Surgeon
- Clinical cardiologist
- Interventional cardiologist
- Electro physiologist
These members collaborate to ensure comprehensive care for patients.
What type of services does the Heart Valve Centre offer?
24 hour/7 day services
This ensures continuous care for patients with heart valve diseases.
What is emphasized in the Heart Team meetings?
Regular meetings to discuss patient care
These meetings are crucial for coordinated treatment strategies.
What is the significance of high procedural volume in the Heart Valve Centre?
Indicates experience and expertise of hospital and individual operators
High procedural volume is linked to better patient outcomes.
What type of imaging expertise is available at the Heart Valve Centre?
Multimodality imaging expertise
This includes various imaging techniques to assess heart valve conditions.
What additional programs does the Heart Valve Centre provide?
Data review and education programmes
These programs aim to enhance knowledge and improve patient care.
What type of rehabilitation services are offered?
- Ambulatory rehabilitation programmes
- Specialized nursing personnel
Rehabilitation services support recovery and ongoing care for patients.
What is the role of referring cardiologists and primary care physicians in the Heart Valve Centre?
To collaborate and refer patients for specialized care
They play a crucial role in the patient care continuum.
What are the transcatheter interventions performed at the Heart Valve Centre?
- Transfemoral TAVI
- Non-transfemoral TAVI
- Valve-in-valve procedures
- All leaflet modification procedures
- PVL closure procedures
- Complex M-TEER
- Redo M-TEER procedures
- Tricuspid or mitral valve-in-ring or valve-in-valve procedures
- TMVI
- All tricuspid procedures
These interventions are aimed at high-risk patients with various cardiac conditions.
What are some high-risk features for transfemoral TAVI?
- Low coronary ostia
- Difficult femoral anatomy
- Bicuspid valve
- Severe calcification protruding into the LVOT
- Severe LV and/or RV impairment
- Pure AV regurgitation
- Multiple valve disease
- Complex coronary artery disease
- Severe extracardiac disease (e.g., renal failure, PH)
Identifying these features is essential for patient selection.
What types of surgical interventions are performed at the Heart Valve Centre?
- High-risk procedures
- Redo procedures
- Minimally invasive and robotic valve surgery
- Complex MV repair
- AV repair
- Ross procedure
- Valve surgery combined with complex surgery of the aorta
- Endocarditis surgery
These interventions are tailored for patients with significant cardiac issues.
True or false: Volume-outcome relationship suggests that complex procedures should be performed at expert centres.
TRUE
This principle emphasizes the importance of experience and specialization in achieving better patient outcomes.
What type of rehabilitation programmes are offered at the Heart Valve Centre?
- Ambulatory rehabilitation programmes
These programmes are designed to support patient recovery post-intervention.
What is the significance of standardized organization of care in the Heart Valve Centre?
It ensures guideline-directed diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients
This approach enhances the quality and consistency of patient care.
What is the essential role of multimodality imaging?
- Evaluation of VHD
- Planning and guiding of interventions
- Assessment of complications
Multimodality imaging integrates various imaging techniques to provide comprehensive information for cardiac evaluations.
What does TTE stand for and what is its role?
- Diagnosis and quantification of valve dysfunction
- Assessment of cardiac chamber anatomy and function
- Follow-up of associated diseases
TTE refers to Transthoracic Echocardiography, a non-invasive imaging technique used in cardiac evaluations.
What are the key assessments performed by CCT?
- Cardiac damage and remodeling
- Exclusion of CAD
- Assessment of extravalvular cardiac consequences from VHD
CCT stands for Cardiac Computed Tomography, which provides detailed images of the heart and blood vessels.
What advantages does TOE provide?
- Higher resolution to assess valve anatomy
- Mechanism(s) of VHD
- 3D visualization of valves
- Guiding of interventions
TOE refers to Transesophageal Echocardiography, which offers a closer view of the heart structures.
What does CMR assess in cardiac evaluations?
- Myocardial fibrosis
- Cardiac volumes and function
CMR stands for Cardiac Magnetic Resonance, a technique used for detailed imaging of the heart.
