Rui Campante Teles , cardiologist at Hospital da Luz, with subspecialty in interventional cardiology, concluded his doctorate degree in Medicine, in Nova Medical School. His thesis gained the unanimous approval of the jury with distinction and praise. The dissertation was based on a research developed since 2008 on the percutaneous treatment of aortic stenosis and its influence on other techniques, such as mitral and tricuspid valve intervention, and left atrial appendage closing, which are designed to treat patients with cardiac insufficiency and prevent cerebrovascular disease. Along the way, Rui Campante Teles published 57 articles, 36 of which in renowned international scientific journals (namely, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Circulation, EuroIntervention, and JAMA). The thesis, entitled “Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI): a reference model in percutaneous cardiovascular interventions” , illustrates the systematic approach implemented to respond to the needs of patients, as well as to support and boost the national progress in this area – namely, in experimental research, risk stratification and multidisciplinary evaluation, in periprocedural and access routes safety, in particular subgroups of patients, in the application to other structural cardiac diseases, in education and training, and in long-term clinical recording. Among the main conclusions of the thesis, the following can be highlighted: The percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVI) reflect the increase of longevity and the advance of modern medicine, improving the clinical results in the treatment of aortic stenosis. Their expansion is a model of reference in the evolution of cardiology and contemporary cardiac surgery, prompting alterations that are transposed to other areas of intervention in structural cardiopathies. The thesis defended on July 14 this year had for advisors Pedro de Araújo Gonçalves , Ana Aleixo and Hector Garcia-Garcia (from Georgetown University, Washington). In the photo above, the new doctor and the jury: Miguel Xavier, Adelino Leite Moreira, Lino Patrício (who participated in the session via videoconference), Victor Gil , Roberto Palma Reis and Pedro de Araújo Gonçalves.
