Clinical trials

Aortic stenosis is a condition in which the aortic valve becomes narrow and does not open properly, making it harder for the heart to pump blood to the body. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure commonly used to treat this condition, especially in older patients or patients at high surgical risk. Many patients undergoing TAVI also have leakage of the mitral valve and/or tricuspid valve. These valve problems can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling, heart failure, and repeated hospitalizations. Patients with multiple valve diseases generally have worse outcomes and are more difficult to treat. In some patients, mitral or tricuspid valve leakage improves after TAVI because the heart works better once the aortic valve has been treated. However, in other patients, the leakage remains severe and continues to affect their health and quality of life. New minimally invasive treatments are now available to repair or replace the mitral and tricuspid valves, but doctors still do not know the best order or timing for these procedures. This study aims to evaluate a treatment algorithm for patients with severe aortic stenosis and significant mitral and/or tricuspid valve leakage. The proposed approach follows current clinical guidelines and uses a stepwise strategy. Patients will first undergo TAVI, followed by reassessment of the mitral and tricuspid valves. If important valve leakage persists after TAVI, additional minimally invasive procedures may be considered to treat the mitral or tricuspid valve. The study will include patients with severe aortic stenosis and moderate-to-severe or severe mitral and/or tricuspid regurgitation. Researchers will collect information about patient symptoms, heart imaging results, procedures, hospitalizations, quality of life, and clinical outcomes during follow-up. The main goal of the study is to evaluate whether this staged treatment approach is safe, feasible, and effective in improving patient outcomes. Researchers will also assess whether the strategy can reduce hospitalizations for heart failure and improve symptoms, daily functioning, and quality of life. The results of this study may help doctors better manage patients with multiple valve diseases and provide a more personalized and structured treatment approach for this complex group of patients.

Patent foramen ovale PFO closure has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with recurrent stroke. However, the majority of existing clinical studies in this field excluded patients over the age of 60 years. Data in older patients is limited and since the population ages and stroke remains a major cause of death and morbidity, randomized clinical trials are needed to better assess the benefit of PFO closure in this elderly population. Therefore, this study proposal sought to determine the efficacy of PFO closure for the prevention of recurrent stroke in older patients with PFO and cryptogenic stroke.

To assess the prevalence and severity of frailty in patients undergoing LAAC, as well as its association to peri-procedural and long-term outcomes and quality of life.

To determine the safety of antithrombotic treatment discontinuation 12 months following successful transcatheter PFO closure.