Fixing the Valve or Saving the Ventricle: The ADHFT Cardiologist in the Structural Era

As transcatheter valve therapies expand, patients with advanced heart failure and concomitant valvular disease increasingly require nuanced, multidisciplinary decision-making. Within the structural heart team, the AHFT cardiologist plays a critical role in determining whether valve intervention will meaningfully alter clinical trajectory or whether evaluation for LVAD or heart transplantation should take precedence. This session will highlight the unique expertise AHFT cardiologists bring to structural discussions, focusing on timing of intervention, advanced hemodynamic interpretation, and longitudinal ownership of patient management.

Learning Objectives

• Determine when valve intervention is appropriate versus when advanced heart failure therapies should take precedence.
• Apply advanced hemodynamic interpretation to complex valvular–heart failure decision-making.
• Describe the role of the AHFT cardiologist in longitudinal ownership and therapy sequencing after structural intervention.