One-shot cardioplegia for minimally invasive mitral valve repair-a comparison of del Nido and Bretschneider Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate solutions.

Background: Minimally invasive procedures are demanding in terms of cardioprotection. In many leading centres Bretschneider HTK solution is used for mitral valve surgery. The study was designed to provide comparison of the del Nido and Bretschneider HTK protocol.

Long-term echocardiographic evaluation of asymptomatic patients undergoing minimally invasive valve repair for severe primary mitral regurgitation.

Background: Asymptomatic patients with newly diagnosed severe primary mitral regurgitation (MR) may not be candidates for surgery according to clinical guidelines.

Aims: We aimed to determine whether asymptomatic patients with severe primary MR benefit from minimally invasive mitral valve repair.

Methods: This prospective registry study assessed consecutive asymptomatic patients who underwent mitral valve repair using right minithoracotomy.

Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale using the internal jugular venous approach.

Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale is routinely performed using the transfemoral approach, which is safe and technically easy. Our case represents the rare situation where the procedure needs to be performed using the right internal jugular venous approach. According to our best knowledge this is the first report of a patent foramen ovale closure procedure with access through the internal jugular with necessity to advance the guide wire and transseptal sheath into the left ventricle.

Periprocedural and late complications after percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale: a single centre experience.

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a potential risk factor for ischaemic stroke in young individuals. An interventional method of secondary stroke prevention in PFO patients is its percutaneous closure.

Aim: To assess safety and effectiveness (i.

Impact of atherosclerotic changes of carotid vessels on long-term outcome in relatively young patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Complex stenoses of coronary vessels as well as unstable plaques are part of the widespread atherosclerotic process.

Aim: The possible association between the incidence of unstable coronary artery disease (CAD) and the morphology of carotid artery wall and cardiovascular events (MACE) was assessed prospectively in a two-year follow-up study.

Methods And Results: Ninety-seven consecutive patients, aged under 60, admitted to hospital with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were included.

Preoperative quantification of aortic valve stenosis: comparison of 64-slice computed tomography with transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography and size of implanted prosthesis.

Precise measurements of aortic complex diameters are essential for preoperative examinations of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) scheduled for aortic valve (AV) replacement. We aimed to prospectively compare the accuracy of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) measurements of the AV complex and to analyze the role of the multi-modality aortic annulus diameter (AAd) assessment in the selection of the optimal prosthesis to be implanted in patients surgically treated for degenerative AS. 20 patients (F/M: 3/17; age: 69 ± 6.

[Prediction of adverse cardiac events in patients with acute anterior wall myocardial infarction treated with PCI].

Unlabelled: Despite common use of reperfusion therapy, particularly primary PCI during acute myocardial infarction, steadily increasing number of patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction, with heart failure (HF), requiring frequent rehospitalisation justifies the study establishing the best indices of prediction of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) occurrence. The aim of the study was to define the frequency of MACE (death, re MI, sVT, rehospitalisation for HF) in patients with acute anterior wall myocardial infarction in 6 month follow up and the factors determinatig its occurence. The 115 consecutive patients (86 males of age 57.

The use of myocardial contrast echocardiography in the assessment of left ventricular function recovery after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Despite successful reperfusion therapy of acute myocardial infarction and complete restoration of infarct-related artery patency, the improvement of systolic function in long-term outcome depends on preserved microvasculature integrity. Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is a useful technique for identification of viable myocardium.

Aim: To assess the value of real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (rt-MCE) in prediction of left ventricular function improvement in patients with anterior wall acute myocardial infarction as well as selection of the optimal cut-off value for the number of dysfunctional segments with preserved complete perfusion, in order to predict the global left ventricular function improvement during one-month observation.

Diagnostic utility of tissue tracking echocardiography for the diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease.

Introduction: Both the resting electrocardiogram and standard echocardiography have limited value in detecting ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in patients with atypical symptoms or asymptomatic subjects. Tissue tracking (TT) is a novel method based on tissue Doppler echocardiography for the assessment of longitudinal apical myocardial motion.

Aim: To assess diagnostic utility of TT mode in the diagnosis of IHD.

Circumferential pulmonary vein RF ablation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation: 3-year experience of one centre.

Introduction: In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), significantly symptomatic in particular, restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm is one of treatment strategies. Considering the limited efficacy and side effects of anti-arrhythmic agents, growing hopes are attributed to the developing techniques of percutaneous ablation.

Aim: To determine the efficacy and safety of circumferential pulmonary vein ablation performed using the CARTO system in patients with paroxysmal or permanent AF.

Primary direct stenting versus endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery--a prospective, randomised study.

Background: The dynamic development of interventional cardiology resulted in an increasing proportion of patients treated with various forms of coronary angioplasty instead of surgery. On the other hand, it has been well established that the results of coronary artery by-pass surgery of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery with the use of the internal mammary artery are excellent.

Aim: To compare the results of primary direct stenting (PDS) and endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass (EACAB) surgery in patients with an isolated proximal LAD type A or B1 lesion.

Prognostic value of troponin I after elective percutaneous coronary interventions.

Background: A mild and asymptomatic increase in the troponin level following elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) has been widely reported, however, the prognostic role of this finding has not yet been well established.Aim. To assess prognostic value of troponin I level increase following elective PCI.

Primary stenting versus MIDCAB: preliminary report-comparision of two methods of revascularization in single left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis.

Background: Percutaneous revascularization is a well-accepted method of treatment for a single left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis. With the introduction of primary stenting, it has become the treatment of choice for a LAD lesion. In the last few years however, the introduction of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, video-assisted left internal thoracic artery (LITA) harvesting, and robotic surgery have raised the question as to whether minimally invasive surgical revascularization would be competitive with percutaneous coronary interventions in cases of single-vessel stenoses.