Cardiology Secrets

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement

1 What is transcatheter aortic valve replacement? Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR, alternately known as transcatheter aortic valve implantation [TAVI]) is a procedure in which a diseased aortic valve is replaced via an endovascular or transthoracic approach, using a bioprosthetic…

Mitral stenosis

1 What is mitral stenosis? Mitral stenosis (MS) comprises any anatomical obstruction at the level of the mitral valve apparatus causing resistance to left ventricular (LV) filling during diastole. 2 What is the usual cause of mitral stenosis? Most cases…

Mitral regurgitation

1 What are the causes of mitral regurgitation? There are two broad categories of mitral regurgitation (MR), primary and secondary. In primary MR, disease of the mitral valve causes it to leak, imparting a volume overload on the left ventricle…

Aortic regurgitation

1 What is aortic regurgitation? Aortic regurgitation (AR) occurs when an incompetent aortic valve (AV) allows blood initially ejected from the left ventricle (LV) to the aorta to return to the LV during diastole. 2 What are the causes of…

Aortic stenosis

1 What is the prevalence of aortic stenosis? What are the trends in aortic stenosis with age? Aortic stenosis (AS) ( Fig. 29.1 ) is the second most common valvular heart disease in the community, and the most frequent single-valve…

Heart transplantation

1 How many heart transplants are performed in the United States each year? Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first human allograft transplant in 1967. Approximately 3000 heart transplants now occur each year, most commonly for nonischemic cardiomyopathy (51%) and coronary…

Heart failure: Long-term management

This chapter addresses the long-term management of patients with chronic heart failure with reduced (depressed) ejection fraction (HFrEF). The management of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is discussed in Chapter 23 . The management of patients…

Acute decompensated heart failure

1 What is acute decompensated heart failure? Isn’t it just a worsening of chronic heart failure? Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a clinical syndrome of worsening signs or symptoms of heart failure (HF) requiring hospitalization or other unscheduled medical…

Restrictive cardiomyopathy

1 What is the basic pathophysiology in restrictive cardiomyopathy? The basic pathophysiology in restrictive cardiomyopathy is increased stiffness of the ventricular walls as a result of myocardial disease, leading to impaired diastolic filling of the ventricles. The result is a…

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

1 What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary cardiac disorder characterized by myocardial hypertrophy and a nondilated left ventricle (LV) in the absence of both an accountable increase in cardiac afterload (i.e., aortic stenosis or systemic hypertension)…