Five-Year Comparison Results Between Clinically Severely Affected Tetralogy-of-Fallot Patients Initially Treated by Right Ventricular Outflow Stenting and Pink-Fallot Patients Undergoing Single-Step Correction.

The Purpose: Evaluation of the short-term and long-term results of a phased correction of the tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) with stenting of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) in comparison with a one-stage total correction (TC) of the defect.

Materials And Methods: Two groups of patients with classical ToF were formed. Group 1 (n = 25; median age = 72 days) was initially represented by children with ToF with a more severe clinical status (median weight = 3.

[Ultrastructure of neointima of native and artificial elements of the blood circulatory system].

Objective: To compare the neointima structure in conduits for coronary bypass grafting, bioprosthetic heart valves, tissue-engineered vascular grafts, and metal stents.

Material And Methods: The objects of the study were the fragments of the human internal thoracic artery, experimental biodegradable vascular prostheses, leaflets of xenopericardial bioprostheses of heart valves, and fragments of stented vessels. Tissue samples were fixed in formalin and post-fixed in osmium tetroxide.

Impact of using higher-risk donor hearts for candidates with pre-transplant mechanical circulatory support.

Background: We evaluated post-heart transplant (HTx) outcomes after use of higher-risk donor hearts for candidates supported with pre-HTx mechanical circulatory support (MCS).

Methods: In this retrospective analysis of the national United Network for Organ Sharing registry, a total of 9,915 adult candidates on MCS underwent HTx from January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2019. Multi-organ, re-transplant, and congenital heart disease patients were excluded.

EMbedding and Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy: A Detailed Protocol for the Whole-Specimen, High-Resolution Analysis of Cardiovascular Tissues.

Currently, an ultrastructural analysis of cardiovascular tissues is significantly complicated. Routine histopathological examinations and immunohistochemical staining suffer from a relatively low resolution of light microscopy, whereas the fluorescence imaging of plaques and bioprosthetic heart valves yields considerable background noise from the convoluted extracellular matrix that often results in a low signal-to-noise ratio. Besides, the sectioning of calcified or stent-expanded blood vessels or mineralised heart valves leads to a critical loss of their integrity, demanding other methods to be developed.

Morphological changes of veins and perivenous tissues during endovenous laser coagulation using 2-μm laser radiation and various types of optical fibers.

Objective: To determine the morphological changes in veins and perivenous tissues after endovenous laser coagulation (EVLC) using laser radiation with a wavelength of 1910 nm and different types of fibers (bare tip and radial).

Methods: The EVLC procedure was carried out on 22 surface veins of six sheep. The radiation source was a diode-pumped solid-state laser, which was based on a LiYF:Tm crystal and had an emission wavelength of 1910 nm and a maximum output power of 10 W.