Active clinical trials for "Heart Valve Diseases"

During percutaneous cardiovascular intervention, temporary cardiac stimulation may be required. Usually this stimulation is generated via a temporary pacing catheter. In order to reduce the complexity of the procedure, a new stimulation strategy has been developed: the "Direct Wire Pacing technique".In this approach, the cardiac stimulation is provided via the guidewire connected to an external pacemaker. Previous study demonstrated the superiority of the new technique compared to the former. However this technique is likely to generate electrical pain, risk of bleeding for the patient and risk of blood exposure accident for the operators. This is why the medical device ELECTRODUCER SLEEVE has been developed. This device integrates a pacing function to the introducer and the guidewire used. The "Direct Wire Pacing technique" is simplified, secured and more reproducible.

The goal of this randomized controlled waitlist trial is to assess the utility of expert tuition with hybrid simulation and repeated peer grading on medical student learning and performance in cardiology long-case examinations. The primary aim of this research is to assess the effects of time, individual teaching with an expert trainer, and repeated peer assessment on students' performance scores in sequential formative long-case examinations in cardiology. The secondary aims are: (a) to assess to what degree performance scores change over time with respect to the intervention group, and (b) to assess for any change in the level of inter-observer variability over time. Participants will be randomized into two groups and undertake three formative long-case examinations in cardiology with a hybrid patient. Each group will have tuition from an expert trainer in a randomized controlled waitlist design. The investigators will compare groups to see if the tuition from a clinical expert has an effect on participants' performance.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate sternal bone healing following a full median sternotomy versus standard of care for sternal closure with wire cerclage. Additional outcomes on post-operative pain and analgesic usage, patient function and quality of life, and complications will also be collected. A health economics study will also be conducted, in which cost and billing data will be collected from sites participating in this clinical study.

The purpose of this study is to assess the early safety and performance of the Mitralign Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Annuloplasty System (PTVAS) for the treatment of symptomatic chronic functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR). The procedure will be performed with the PTVAS device using a non-surgical percutaneous approach to tricuspid valve repair in patients who have FTR with a minimum of moderate tricuspid regurgitation.

Early development of calcified aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a commonly occurring complication in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV, an aortic valve consisting of two leaflets instead of three). In general, CAVD is characterized by progressive narrowing of the aortic valve, with involvement of altered calcium metabolism. CAVD progression in fact may lead to necessity of valve replacement, since to date, no other therapies have been shown effective in the treatment of CAVD. The primary objective of our study is to test the hypothesis that supplementation of vitamin K2 will slow down the calcium metabolism in CAVD. Vitamin K2 is essential in the activation of matrix Gla Protein (MGP), an important inhibitory factor in the regulation of calcification. In this randomized controlled trial, 44 patients will be allocated to either the vitamin K2 or placebo group. To assess the calcification process in a detailed manner in these patients, a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner using a tracer (18F-fluoride [NaF]) that has been shown to bind to regions of newly developing microcalcification in aortic valve tissue is used. We expect that vitamin K2 supplementation will reduce the calcium metabolism in the aortic valve on 18NaF-PET (primary endpoint) and slow progression of CAVD as measured by the calcium score on CT and echocardiography after 18 months (secondary endpoints), when compared to placebo.

The PRE-OP ENERGY Trial proposes to test the overarching hypothesis that a pre-surgery high energy diet will protect patients against organ damage during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

The Val-CARD trial aims to answer the question: "Does the drug sodium valproate reduce complications affecting the heart and kidneys in patients having heart operations?" Sodium valproate is a drug commonly used in the treatment of epilepsy. Recently it has been shown to protect against heart and kidney damage in laboratory tests. This has led to trials evaluating whether it can prevent heart and kidney damage in patients. The investigators wish to evaluate whether treatment with sodium valproate for a short period can reduce levels of organ damage following heart surgery by measuring this in blood tests, exercise tests, a special x-ray measuring body fat content, a walk exercise and muscle strength tests. The investigators now want to establish if sodium valproate works by making the heart and kidney more resistant to any injury that results from the use of the heart lung machine.

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and performance of the Trialign System for the treatment of symptomatic chronic functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) in patients with a minimum of moderate tricuspid regurgitation. The procedure will be performed with the PTVAS device using a non-surgical percutaneous approach to tricuspid valve repair in patients who have FTR with a minimum of moderate tricuspid regurgitation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of trunk stabilizing exercises on sternal instability in patients with median sternotomy after heart valve surgery

Until very recently, warfarin is still the best drug of choice for long-term anticoagulation for patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valve. However, the complication of warfarin account for 75 percent of the whole complication after the mechanical prosthetic heart valve replacement. Interindividual variation in warfarin dose is mediated by multiple factors.Advanced models using combinations of clinical attributes and genetic factors(CYP2C9, VKORC1, and CYP4F2) explain 50-75% of variability in warfarin dose requirements.These warfarin dosing models have the potential to improve patient safety by reducing or eliminating serious adverse events. The investigators conducted a prospective, randomized, blinded, two arm trial to test this hypothesis.