Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Update in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease

Prof Nicolas Maria Van Mieghem is an Interventional cardiologist at Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, NL decided to pursue a career that would help others. “I enjoy the feeling of being able to help someone or do something important for them". His father was a general cardiologist and one of his biggest influences early in his career.

Prof Van Mieghem initially intended to train as a cardiac surgeon but decided to specialise in interventional cardiology instead, following advice from a mentor. This decision was cemented when he read the first-in-human case report of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Circulation by Alain Cribier in 2002. Prof Van Mieghem believes that great cardiologist genuinely cares for their patients. He names Gary Roubin, Dr Manu Malbrain and Professor Patrick Serruys among his mentors. 

His current research focuses on cerebral embolic protection during TAVI and the search for improved large bore closure devices. He works actively in expanding TAVI indications, most notably TAVI as a means to further unload the left ventricle in heart failure patients with moderate aortic stenosis (the TAVR UNLOAD trial). Prof Van Mieghem is also involved in the development and dispersion of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices as well as transcatheter mitral and tricuspid repair techniques. In terms of imaging and preprocedural planning, his research has covered computed tomography (CT)-derived 3D modelling and printing.

As well as his involvement in percutaneous coronary interventions and structural heart programs, he has published and co-authored over 350 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Professor Van Mieghem is a principal investigator and steering committee member in multiple ongoing international trials, evaluating various coronary and transcatheter valve technologies. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and is currently Medical Director of the department of Interventional cardiology at the Thorax Centre.

 Prof Van Mieghem is on the ICR3 Editorial Board.

Valley Health System, Virginia, US

Didier Tchétché, (Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France) Graduated from the University of Paris V where Dr Tchétché obtained his post-graduate diploma of cardiovascular pathology in 2004. From 2004 to 2005, he completed a 12-month fellowship period in the Hemodynamic and Interventional Cardiology department of Clinique Pasteur in Toulouse and from 2005 to 2007 he was Head Assistant at the intensive care unit of Bichât Hospital in Paris.

In 2008, he joined the interventional cardiovascular group in Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, and he is currently Head of the Structural programme with an experience of more than 5000 TAVI procedures. His main areas of interest are coronary interventions and valvular heart disease. He has been actively involved in many clinical trials involving new technologies and devices in the field of interventional cardiology.

Dr Firas Zahr is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. At the same institution, he is the Director of Interventional Cardiology and Co-Director of the Structural Heart Disease program.

Dr Zahr earned his MD from the University of Damascus in 2002 and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He further specialised with an Interventional Cardiology Structural Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and his research focuses on cardiac catheterization, transcatheter valve therapies and interventional cardiology. Alongside his investigations, Dr Zahr has written over a hundred publications in peer reviewed journals focusing on valvular heart disease management.