Survival after Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Regurgitation: Prediction from Preoperative Contractility Measurement.

Background: Noninvasive measurement of myocardial contractility (end-systolic wall stress-adjusted change in left ventricular ejection fraction from rest to exercise [ΔLVEF - ΔESS]) predicts heart failure, subnormal LVEFrest, and sudden death in asymptomatic patients with chronic severe aortic regurgitation (AR). Here we assess the relation of preoperative ΔLVEF - ΔESS to survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR).

Methods: Patients who underwent AVR for chronic, isolated, pure severe AR (n = 66) were followed for 13.

Diastolic function improves after resolution of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Background: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a condition of reversible left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. However, the diastolic function (DF) manifestations of TTC have not been widely investigated. We performed a bicentric study with retrospective analysis of DF in patients with TTC, during onset and at follow-up.

The nature and pattern of coronary stent recalls.

Background: Each year, over 1 million percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) are performed in the United States. Coronary stents have been shown to reduce restenosis or abrupt vessel closure and therefore have improved the success of PCI. Rarely, manufacturers recall stents due to unanticipated problems.

Natural progression of low-gradient severe aortic stenosis with preserved ejection fraction.

Because the natural progression of low-gradient aortic stenosis (LGAS) has not been well defined, we performed a retrospective study of 116 consecutive patients with aortic stenosis who had undergone follow-up echocardiography at a median interval of 698 days (range, 371-1,020 d). All patients had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (>0.50) during and after follow-up.