News

This year, as part of International Women's Day 2022, we asked our patient advocate, Livvy Gosney, for her thoughts on the unique challenges women face while undergoing heart valve disease treatment. Here is what she said:

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the UK’s first-ever Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure performed at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust by Professor Jan Kovac. What was then viewed as a revolutionary method to treat heart valve disease is now a routine procedure, which is seen to be one of the most significant advances in cardiac disease therapy over the last 30 years.

2022 is upon us, and I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on Heart Valve Voice’s achievements in 2021 and look forward to 2022. 2022 presents valve disease patients and the nation with a complex challenge, but we at Heart Valve Voice have put together an ambitious strategy to ensure we continue to support patients and improve the detection and diagnosis of the condition.

Heart Valve Voice welcomes the announcement from NHS England regarding the creation of 40 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC). Heart Valve Voice has advocated the delivery of these services since Professor Sir Mike Richards released his report, and are firm believers that they will improve cardiovascular services immeasurably.

Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week (13-19 September, 2021) aims to improve diagnosis, treatment and management of heart valve disease globally. This international initiative is led by the Valve Council of the Global Heart Hub, and includes heart valve disease charities from around the world.

This week, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) released the 2021 revisions to their clinical practice guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease.