Introduction: Slipping rib syndrome (SRS) or subluxation of the medial aspect of the lower rib costal cartilages is an underdiagnosed cause of debilitating pain in otherwise healthy children. Costal cartilage excision may provide definitive symptom relief. However, limited data exist on the natural history, difficulty in diagnosis, and patient-reported outcomes for SRS in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCongenital heart disease encompasses a range of cardiac birth defects. Some defects require early and complex surgical intervention and post-operative thromboprophylaxis primarily for valve, conduit, and shunt patency. Antiplatelet and anticoagulant management strategies vary considerably and may or may not align with recognized consensus practice guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is an increasing interest in the use of bivalirudin for pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) anticoagulation. However, dosing is not well described in those requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We aimed to determine whether CRRT affects bivalirudin dosing in pediatric ECMO patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lung transplantation is the definitive surgical treatment for end-stage lung disease. However, infants comprise less than 5% of pediatric cases. This study sought to provide an overview of infant lung transplantation outcomes over the past 3 decades by using linked United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Transplant
June 2021
Objective: Data on adult lung transplantation suggest perioperative benefits of intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Information regarding their pediatric counterparts, however, is limited. This study compares outcomes of intraoperative ECMO versus CPB in pediatric lung transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCongenital pulmonary valve stenosis (PVS) is a common congenital heart defect. In the infancy of cardiac surgery, open surgical valvotomy or closed surgical transventricular pulmonary valvotomy (Brock procedure) were the mainstays of therapy. We report the longest-known published follow-up of two women who as young children underwent pulmonary valvotomy for PVS and subsequent uncomplicated open pulmonary valve replacement over 60 years later.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatric tumors in the apex of the thoracic cavity are often diagnosed late due to the absence of symptoms. These tumors can be quite large at presentation with involvement of the chest wall, sympathetic chain, spine, and aortic arch. The tumors can also extend into the thoracic inlet and encircle the brachial plexus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLung transplantation is a crucial component in the treatment of end-stage lung disease in infants. Traditionally, most lung transplants have been performed in older children and adults, resulting in a scarcity of data for infant patients. To address the challenges unique to this age group, novel strategies to provide the best preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care for these youngest patients are paramount.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Conflicting data exist regarding the impact of ascending aorta size on outcomes after the Norwood procedure. Results from multi-institutional studies have largely relied on heterogeneous populations undergoing this surgery for different anatomic defects. Using data from the Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial, we analyzed the impact of preoperative ascending aortic diameter on Norwood outcomes for patients with aortic atresia variants of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Vascular rings are often diagnosed after evaluation for swallowing and breathing difficulties. Data regarding symptoms following vascular ring repair is sparse. We sought to determine whether symptoms persist using chart review and a survey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a pediatric patient with nonatherosclerotic chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) leading to complete LMCA atresia which was successfully recanalized via retrograde techniques through a previous internal mammary bypass graft. After the CTO was treated, the artery was found to be anomalous off the right cusp with an intramural coarse and slit-like orifice. The patient's ischemic symptoms resolved after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and she has continued to do well.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Studies comparing percutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with surgical ligation tend to exclude premature infants and have not assessed procedural charges. We compared our contemporary outcomes and charges of device closure to surgical ligation of PDA in preterm infants.
Material And Methods: Preterm infants who underwent isolated PDA closure during their newborn hospitalization (January 2014 to September 2017) were grouped based on intention to treat (surgery versus device closure).
The population of people with a single-ventricle is continually increasing due to improvements across the spectrum of medical care. Unfortunately, a proportion of these patients will develop heart failure. Often, for these patients, mechanical circulatory support (MCS) represents the only available treatment option.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg
May 2018
Anomalous systemic arterial supply to the basal segments of the left lower lobe without coexisting pulmonary artery connection is a rare anomaly. Most feel treatment is necessary; however, the ideal strategy is unclear. Treatments described include embolization, pulmonary resection, or anastomosis to the native pulmonary artery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Neonatal mesenchymal stem cells exhibit less cardioprotective potential than their adult counterparts. Transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) has been shown to stimulate adult stem cell VEGF production, however, it remains unknown whether it may augment neonatal stem cell paracrine function. We hypothesized that TGF-α would equalize adult and neonatal stem cell paracrine function and cardioprotection during acute ischemia/reperfusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improve postischemic myocardial function in part through their secretion of growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Pretreating MSCs with various cytokines or small molecules can improve VEGF secretion and MSC-mediated cardioprotection. However, whether 1 cytokine can potentiate the effect of another cytokine in MSC pretreatment to achieve a synergistic effect on VEGF production and cardioprotection is poorly studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) has been shown to augment mesenchymal stem cell-mediated cardioprotection during acute ischemia and reperfusion in isolated heart models. To determine whether this pretreatment strategy would be effective in vivo, we hypothesized that the intramyocardial injection of mesenchymal stem cells pretreated with TGF-α after coronary artery ligation would confer greater preservation of cardiac function, reduction in infarct size, and reduction myocardial inflammation.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation.
Background: The activation of the epidermal growth factor family of receptors may improve cardiac protection after injury. One epidermal growth factor family ligand, transforming growth factor-alpha, promotes wound healing in multiple tissues in response to oxidative injury and might confer resistance to myocardial depressant factors, although the role of transforming growth factor-alpha in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury is unknown. We hypothesized that preischemic infusion of transforming growth factor-alpha would improve myocardial functional recovery after acute ischemia/reperfusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Stem cells protect the heart from ischemic damage in part by the release of cytoprotective growth factors, particularly vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Production of VEGF is regulated in part by levels of the transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α). Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) prevents the deactivation of HIF-1α and increases VEGF production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cytoprotective growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play important roles in myocardial protection from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Accumulating evidence suggests that the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway is a key regulator of VEGF production in the setting of I/R. The prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor mimosine can increase VEGF production through the HIF-1 pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cardiac surgery induces the release of inflammatory mediators that can prolong cardiac dysfunction after operative intervention. Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a potent inhibitor of myocardial inflammation, is a known factor in myocardial protection after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We hypothesized that IL-10 activity during initial reperfusion is mediated through the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess immunomodulatory properties and may curtail the inflammatory response that characterizes sepsis and other systemic inflammatory states. We aimed to determine whether intravenous infusion of MSCs is associated with reduced inflammation and improved myocardial function in a rat model of endotoxemia. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were administered saline (vehicle) or LPS (5 mg/kg) via tail vein injection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates myocardial apoptosis, cellular proliferation, and the immune response after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). STAT3 is also necessary for the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are known to reduce myocardial injury after I/R. However, it remains unknown whether STAT3 is an important mediator of MSC-based cardioprotection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
June 2011
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may offer therapeutic benefit in the setting of sepsis and endotoxemia. Previous studies suggest that MSCs from female donors may possess better protective capabilities than their male counterparts. The present study examined whether female MSCs may offer a greater protective advantage in the setting of endotoxemic cardiac dysfunction compared with male MSCs.
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