TAVI trial for symptomatic moderate AS patients kicks off in Australia
A clinical trial testing the efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in symptomatic patients with moderate aortic stenosis (AS) has kicked off in Australia with the first implant successfully inserted in an eligible patient.
On Monday, Dr Ross Roberts-Thomson interventional cardiologist at Royal Adelaide Hospital tweeted he was “proud” his team had performed the country’s first procedure in the Australian and US PROGRESS Moderate AS trial, exploring TAVI’s impact on death, stroke, unplanned cardiovascular hospitalisation, symptoms and other evidence of heart failure versus standard medical therapy.
Proud that our team has performed the first successful TAVI implant in Australia as part of the PROGRESS Moderate AS trial. Great to continue to be part of life changing research! @CentralAdlLHN @EdwardsLifesci @Noworkmatt @PrashSanders @PhilGenereuxMD pic.twitter.com/0hORSjvwOH
— Ross R-T (@robertsthomson) May 2, 2022
Dr Roberts-Thomson told the limbic it’s “quite an exciting trial”, adding that “it will sort of change the way we think about moderate aortic stenosis, if it’s positive, and it will certainly be the first trial to ever just look at moderate aortic stenosis and whether TAVI would benefit patients”.
He noted that a previous study by Professor Geoffery Strange, creator, director and chief investigator of the National Echo Database of Australia and New Zealand, found moderate AS had similar mortality rates to severe AS.
The Australian leg is expected to recruit over the next three to six months, Dr Roberts-Thomson said.
After that, they’ll be following patients for 2-year outcomes and beyond. The trial is set to end in June 2037.
Rural training the answer to specialist shortage, says RACP
Additional specialist training places are needed in rural and remote areas to combat doctor shortages outside the major cities, the RACP is arguing.
With well over 100 doctors currently on the waitlist for its registrar program, the college says it is confident of filling any number of extra positions if funded by the Federal Government.
“There is no shortage of interest in these positions – the limiting factor is available government funding,” says RACP president-elect Dr Jacqueline Small.