Ricerc@Sapienza

Aims Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has become an established treatment for severe aortic stenosis, thanks to key improvements achieved by new-generation devices. Their comparative effectiveness and safety are, however, still uncertain. Methods We queried a prospective registry on transcatheter aortic valve implantation to compare Evolut and Portico devices, focusing on procedural, in-hospital, and mid-term outcomes. Unadjusted and propensity-adjusted analyses were carried out. Results In all, 233 patients were included, 119 (51.1%) receiving Evolut and 114 (48.9%) Portico.

The umbilical cord is a complex structure containing three vessels, one straight vein and two coiled arteries, encased by the Wharton Jelly (WJ) a spongy structure made of collagen and hydrated macromolecules. Fetal blood reaches the placenta through the arteries and flows back to the fetus through the vein. The role of the WJ in maintaining cord circulation proficiency and the ultimate reason for arterial coiling still lack of reasonable mechanistic interpretations.