Interatrial shunt with the second-generation V-Wave system for patients with advanced chronic heart failure

Introduction

Left atrial decompression by creating an interatrial shunt has been associated with significant improvements in functional status and quality of life in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF, HFpEF)1.

The initial experience with the V-Wave shunt (V-Wave Ltd, Caesarea, Israel) showed its safety and preliminary efficacy for treating patients with HFrEF and HFpEF2,3. However, shunt narrowing/occlusion was observed in up to 50% of the patients at 12-month follow-up, secondary to early valve degeneration3. Following this initial experience, modifications were implemented in order to improve late device patency and ...