PARTNER cohort A: Transcatheter valves noninferior to surgery

[Protimenow]

Mileena -- I don't think these valves have ever 'frozen' open or closed. My speculation was that if you can place one of these tissue valves into a position just before the mechanical valve - it could do the work of the mechanical valve. But if BOTH valves were trying to work simultaneously, you could wind up with some real problems -- the idea was that, if the mechanical valve can be locked in the open position, the tissue could then do its job without the problems related to having TWO valves trying the do ONE job.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of failures have been reported with mechanical valves (but I'm sure others here probably know).

(I'm with Lynn -- if researchers can get to a point where they can grow a replacement valve out of a person's own tissue, this would be great. Perhaps even better would be harvesting some stem cells from the person with the heart problem, and somehow getting those cells to develop into a new valve.)

 

[Lynlw]

Mileena -- I don't think these valves have ever 'frozen' open or closed. My speculation was that if you can place one of these tissue valves into a position just before the mechanical valve - it could do the work of the mechanical valve. But if BOTH valves were trying to work simultaneously, you could wind up with some real problems -- the idea was that, if the mechanical valve can be locked in the open position, the tissue could then do its job without the problems related to having TWO valves trying the do ONE job.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of failures have been reported with mechanical valves (but I'm sure others here probably know).

(I'm with Lynn -- if researchers can get to a point where they can grow a replacement valve out of a person's own tissue, this would be great. Perhaps even better would be harvesting some stem cells from the person with the heart problem, and somehow getting those cells to develop into a new valve.)

They have been working on growing the new valves/conduits out of people own cells for a while now (between 5-10 years) I know Dr. Mayer at Boston's childrens is one of the places doing alot of research on them. One of the "heart Moms" that's child has one of the Congenital heart defects that's surgery involves replacing the pulmonary valve/conduit pretty often thru out their life actually started an Organization that raises money JUST for that research.

The only way I know of that a mech valve can get 'stuck" open or closed is from clots or pannus growth. But it is pretty rare and for pannus, at least it takes a while to get to that point, so they would see it during routine echos and replace the valve before it became a problem.

 

[Lynlw]

Here is a document I came across when I was looking for a joke on "Tired of being on the cutting edge of technology". The valve placement is a one shot deal.

http://www.egmedicals.com/CA2010 Presentations/Day 2/036002.pdf

Are you talking about when they are placing it? If so they've been working on and have used repositional TAVI valves, so hopefully the other companies will improve theirs that way too, if they haven't in their latest models. Since the first one was a couple years ago

 

[Lynlw]

hopefully this link will take you to a pretty interesting video Q &A discussing the PARTNER trial with Dr. Craig Smith

http://www.theheart.org/podcast/vid...=email&utm_source=20110408_EditoDiscussion_EN