Safety, feasibility, and long-term results of percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects using the Amplatzer septal occluder without periprocedural echocardiography.

Objectives: We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs) under fluoroscopic guidance only, without periprocedural echocardiographic guidance.

Background: Percutaneous closure of ASDs is usually performed using simultaneous fluoroscopic and transthoracic, transesophageal (TEE), or intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) guidance. However, TEE requires deep sedation or general anesthesia, which considerably lengthens the procedure.

Two-year clinical outcome after implantation of sirolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stents in diabetic patients.

Aims: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in diabetic patients is associated with an increased risk of restenosis and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We assessed the impact of diabetes on long-term outcome after PCI with sirolimus-eluting (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting (PES) stents.

Methods And Results: In the SIRTAX trial, 1012 patients were randomized to treatment with SES (n = 503) or PES (n = 509).

Sirolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stents for coronary revascularization.

Background: Sirolimus-eluting stents and paclitaxel-eluting stents, as compared with bare-metal stents, reduce the risk of restenosis. It is unclear whether there are differences in safety and efficacy between the two types of drug-eluting stents.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled, single-blind trial comparing sirolimus-eluting stents with paclitaxel-eluting stents in 1012 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Stent thrombosis following bare-metal stent implantation: success of emergency percutaneous coronary intervention and predictors of adverse outcome.

Aims: To investigate the efficacy and outcome of emergency percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in patients with stent thrombosis.

Methods And Results: Between 1995 and 2003, 6058 patients underwent bare-metal stent implantation, of which 95 (1.6%) patients suffered from stent thrombosis.

Losartan but not enalaprilat acutely reduces reperfusion ventricular tachyarrhythmias in hypertrophied rat hearts after low-flow ischaemia.

Based on clinical and experimental studies, angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors have been proposed to exert acute anti-arrhythmic effects in heart failure patients. Therefore, the goal of this study was to assess acute anti-arrhythmic effects of losartan and enalaprilat in hypertrophied rat hearts during low-flow ischaemia and reperfusion. In dose-finding experiments in non-hypertrophied isolated perfused hearts, we performed dose-response curves of losartan and enalaprilat studying monophasic action potential duration at 90% repolarisation (MAPD(90%)) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) threshold.