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Background: Clinically significant paravalvular leak (PVL) may complicate both surgical and transcatheter valve implantation. Percutaneous PVL closure (PPVLC) is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to redo surgery, with demonstrated lower mortality and morbidity rates. Echocardiographic techniques are crucial for accurate diagnosis, defect sizing, and determining the appropriate size of the sealing devices., Aims: There is no consensus on the optimal imaging modality for PVLs. We aimed to compare transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic measurements to accurately determine defect size and estimate device size., Methods: We reviewed hospital records to identify patients diagnosed with moderate to severe and severe PVL from 2018 to 2024. A total of 81 patients who underwent PPVLC were evaluated. Eight of these patients were excluded due to unsuccessful PPVLC, leaving 73 patients who were successfully treated. The defect size for all patients was evaluated using 2D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), 2D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), direct 3D TEE cropped volume rendering vena contracta (VC) measurement, and 3D TEE multiplanar reconstruction (3D TEE MPR)., Results: Among the 73 patients, 42 underwent aortic PPVLC and 31 underwent mitral PPVLC. Proportional odds logistic regression analysis identified 3D TEE MPR measurement as the strongest predictor of device size accuracy, both overall and within the aortic/mitral subgroups. In the mitral subgroup, the predictive power of direct 3D TEE cropped volume rendering VC measurement and 3D TEE MPR measurement were similar. Furthermore, a cut-off value of 7 mm was identified for hemodynamically significant jets as measured by 3D methods., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that using 3D TEE MPR significantly improves the accuracy of device size selection in both mitral and aortic PVL. Additionally, direct 3D TEE cropped volume rendering VC measurement can serve as a viable alternative for patients with mitral PVL., (© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), leading to symptoms and adverse outcomes. Disopyramide, with its negative inotropic effects, is commonly used to reduce LVOTO in obstructive HCM (HOCM). This study evaluates the impact of disopyramide on functional capacity in HOCM patients., Methods: Symptomatic HOCM patients evaluated between October 2021 and May 2024 were divided into two groups: those receiving disopyramide and those treated with beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers due to disopyramide unavailability. A treatment response was defined as at least a 1-stage improvement in NYHA class. Clinical and laboratory data, including NT-proBNP levels and LVOT gradient, were compared between groups., Results: A total of 127 patients were included (median age 54.0 years, 58.2% male). 79% of patients were in NYHA class 2. After follow-up, 62% of the disopyramide group (the mean follow-up duration was 15.2 months, and the mean daily dose was 395 mg) showed at least a 1-stage improvement in functional capacity, compared to 26% in the control group. Disopyramide use and presence of extent LGE were independent predictors of functional improvement. Despite functional gains, there was no difference in overall clinical outcomes between the groups. Disopyramide-related side effects were minimal, and no patients discontinued due to QT prolongation., Conclusions: Disopyramide significantly improved functional capacity in HOCM patients, with 62% achieving a 1-stage NYHA improvement compared to 26% in the control group. These results highlight the need for better accessibility to disopyramide in regions where it is difficult to obtain., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have nothing to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The optimal treatment of symptomatic paravalvular leak (PVL) remains controversial between transcatheter closure (TC) and surgery. This large-scale study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the long-term outcomes of the patients who underwent reoperation or TC of PVLs., Methods and Results: A total of 335 (men, 209 [62.4%]; mean age, 58.15±12.77 years) patients who underwent treatment of PVL at 3 tertiary centers between January 2002 and December 2021 were included. Echocardiographic features, procedure details, and in-hospital or long-term outcomes were assessed. The primary end point was defined as the all-cause death during follow-up. The regression models were adjusted by applying the inverse probability weighted approach to reduce treatment selection bias. The initial management strategy was TC in 171 (51%) patients and surgery in 164 (49%) cases. Three hundred cases (89.6%) had mitral PVL, and 35 (10.4%) had aortic PVL. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 52.03±10.79%. Technical (78.9 versus 76.2%; P =0.549) and procedural success (73.7 versus 65.2%; P =0.093) were similar between both groups. In both univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis, the in-hospital mortality rate in the overall population was significantly higher (15.9 versus 4.7%) in the surgery group compared with the TC group (unadjusted odds ratio, 3.13 [95% CI, 1.75-5.88]; P =0.001; and adjusted odds ratio (inverse probability-weighted), 4.55 [95% CI, 2.27-10.0]; P <0.001). However, the long-term mortality rate in the overall population did not differ between the surgery group and the TC group (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.86 [95% CI, 0.59-1.25]; P =0.435; and adjusted HR (inverse probability-weighted), 1.11 [95% CI, 0.67-1.81]; P =0.679)., Conclusions: The current data suggest that percutaneous closure of PVL was associated with lower early and comparable long-term mortality rates compared with surgery.

Objective: Pannus overgrowth is a chronic inflammatory process that can cause valve dysfunction and threaten the durability of prosthetic valves. Bileaflet mechanical mitral valve can be implanted in either an anatomical (parallel to the anatomical axis) or nonanatomical (perpendicular or oblique to the anatomical axis) orientation. The effect of the rotational orientation of the bileaflet mechanical mitral valve on excessive pannus enlargement is unknown. The present study compared the effect of bileaflet mechanical mitral valve orientation on pannus overgrowth., Methods: The study included patients who underwent bileaflet mechanical mitral valve replacement for rheumatic mitral valve stenosis. The pannus formation was confirmed by reexamining all transesophageal echocardiography images in the picture archiving and communication systems between May 2017 and April 2021. The primary aim of this study was the development of pannus overgrowth. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on their implantation orientation of the bileaflet mechanical mitral valve., Results: Pannus overgrowth was found in 26 patients (56.5%) in the anatomical orientation group and 71 patients (74.7%) in the nonanatomical orientation group ( P = 0.03). Anatomical orientation reduced the development of pannus overgrowth (odds ratio [OR] = 0.39, P = 0.04), and double left heart valve replacement increased the development of pannus overgrowth (OR = 2.73, P = 0.04)., Conclusions: Pannus overgrowth was less common in bileaflet mechanical mitral valves implanted in the anatomical orientation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.