ACC/AHA Versus ESC Guidelines on Prosthetic Heart Valve Management: JACC Guideline Comparison

Abstract

Prosthetic heart valve interventions continue to evolve with new innovations in surgical and transcatheter technologies. We compared the recommendations from the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for management of patients with prosthetic heart valves with the 2017 European Society of Cardiology guidelines. The 2 documents differed regarding recommendations for follow-up imaging, the choice of biological versus mechanical prosthesis, bridging therapies, role of aspirin, use of fibrinolytic therapy for prosthetic valve thrombosis, and management of paravalvular regurgitation. This review highlights the differences between the 2 guidelines, summarizes new evidence, and offers recommendations for the management of patients with prosthetic heart valves in these areas of controversy.

Keywords: comparison; guidelines; imaging; prosthetic heart valves; valvular heart disease.