This vital research will support the development of a new assessment technique that can detect left heart dysfunction before patients undergo transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).

Research Objectives

Status

Current

Recruitment

Open

Patient Group

Heart disease patients

Study location

St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital

Study type

Investigator Initiated

    Lead investigator    
            Dr Christopher Raffel        

        Experienced investigator		
				Professor John Fraser			

Technical title

Incorporating Load into Cardiac Assessment by Echocardiography in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair

About this research project

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valvular heart disease with over 400,000 patients in Australia. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), or mitral valve repair by catheter, is a promising treatment for MR. However, approximately 40% of patients receiving this treatment still develop heart failure. The main cause of this is undetected left heart dysfunction (LHD) which is not identifiable through current heart assessments. Once TEER repairs MR, the underlying LHD becomes conspicuous, which causes heart failure.

In this project, the research team aims to develop a new assessment technique using ultrasound, which can detect LHD before TEER. This new ultrasound assessment will provide adequate treatment to prevent post-TEER heart failure, allowing many patients to enjoy an enhanced quality of life and extended lifespan.

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Cardiovascular & Critical Care

New Ultrasound Assessment Technique for Patients with Valvular Heart Disease