Excessive brain atrophy in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of the neuroradiological indices of brain atrophy in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with particular emphasis on the assessment of atrophy areas typical of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).

Material And Methods: The group of 34 patients (age 60-90 years, 17 women and 17 men) with severe AS and 50 healthy controls (age 61-85 years, 29 women and 21 men) underwent MRI brain examinations, which were analysed for the neuroradiological indices of brain atrophy.

Results: A slight but statistically significant age difference was found between the study and control groups - about 3 years on average ( = 0.

Valve-in-valve transcatheter transfemoral mitral valve implantation (ViV-TMVI): Characteristics and early results from a nationwide registry.

Background: Valve-in-valve transcatheter transfemoral mitral valve implantation (ViV-TMVI) is an emerging treatment alternative to reoperation in high-surgical risk patients with failed mitral bioprostheses.

Aim: We aimed to describe the characteristics of ViV-TMVI and evaluate its 30-day outcomes in the Polish population.

Methods: A nationwide registry was initiated to collect data on all patients with failed mitral bioprosthesis undergoing ViV-TMVI in Poland.

Nationwide experience with transcarotid transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Insights from the POL-CAROTID registry.

Background: The carotid artery is an alternative access route for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), especially useful in patients unsuitable for traditional access routes including transfemoral (TF), subclavian, transapical, and aortic.

Aims: To investigate the feasibility and safety of transcarotid (TC) access for TAVI in comparison to the TF approach in a multicenter setting.

Methods: A total of 41 patients, treated between December 2014 and December 2018, were retrospectively reported to the Polish Registry of Common Carotid Artery Access for TAVI (POL-CAROTID).

Heart Failure Evolution Model Based on Anomalous Diffusion Theory.

The unexpectable variations of the diagnosed disease symptoms are quite often observed during medical diagnosis. In stochastics, such behavior is called "grey swan" or "black swan" as synonyms of sudden, unpredictable change. Evolution of the disease's symptoms is usually described by means of Markov processes, where dependency on process history is neglected.

Acute kidney injury as the most important predictor of poor prognosis after interventional treatment for aortic stenosis.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common acquired valvular disease. There are two methods of interventional treatment: surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The choice between SAVR and TAVI depends on the assessment of individual perioperative risk and long-term treatment outcomes.

Transcatheter aortic valve‑in‑valve implantation for failed surgical bioprostheses: results from the Polish Transcatheter Aortic Valve-in-Valve Implantation (ViV‑TAVI) Registry.

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve‑in ‑valve implantation (ViV‑TAVI) has emerged as an alternative to redo surgery in patients with failed surgical aortic bioprosthesis.

Objectives: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ViV‑TAVI in Polish patients after surgical aortic valve replacement.

Patients And Methods: This was a nationwide multicenter registry of ViV‑TAVI procedures.

Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of cerebral small vessel disease intensification in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of the neuroradiological indices of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material And Methods: 34 patients (age 60-90 years, 17 women and 17 men) with severe AS and 50 healthy controls (age 61-85 years, 29 women and 21 men) underwent MRI brain examinations, which were analysed for the neuroradiological indices of CSVD: hyperintensities in periventricular white matter (PVWM) and deep white matter (DWM), enlarged perivascular spaces (ePVS), lacunar strokes, and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs).

Results: PVWM hyperintensities were found in 46% of volunteers and was significantly lower ( = 0.

Effects of an outpatient intervention comprising nurse-led non-invasive assessments, telemedicine support and remote cardiologists' decisions in patients with heart failure (AMULET study): a randomised controlled trial.

Aim: Prevention of heart failure (HF) hospitalisations and deaths constitutes a major therapeutic aim in patients with HF. The role of telemedicine in this context remains equivocal. We investigated whether an outpatient telecare based on nurse-led non-invasive assessments supporting remote therapeutic decisions (AMULET telecare) could improve clinical outcomes in patients after an episode of acute HF during 12-month follow-up.

Noninvasive Bioimpedance Methods From the Viewpoint of Remote Monitoring in Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a major clinical, social, and economic problem. In view of the important role of fluid overload in the pathogenesis of HF exacerbation, early detection of fluid retention is of key importance in preventing emergency admissions for this reason. However, tools for monitoring volume status that could be widely used in the home setting are still missing.

Rationale and design of the AMULET study: A new Model of telemedical care in patients with heart failure.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) is characterized by high mortality and hospital readmission rates. Limited access to cardiologists restricts the application of guideline-directed, patient-tailored medical therapy. Some telemedicine solutions and novel non-invasive diagnostic tools may facilitate real-time detection of early HF decompensation symptoms, prompt initiation of appropriate treatment, and optimal management of medical resources.

Nurse-led ambulatory care supported by non-invasive haemodynamic assessment after acute heart failure decompensation.

Unlabelled: Heart failure (HF) is characterized by frequent decompensation and an unpredictable trajectory. To prevent early hospital readmission, coordinated discharge planning and individual therapeutic approach are recommended.

Aims: We aimed to assess the effect of 1 month of ambulatory care, led by nurses and supported by non-invasive haemodynamic assessment, on the functional status, well-being, and haemodynamic status of patients post-acute HF decompensation.

Non-calcific aortic tissue quantified from computed tomography angiography improves diagnosis and prognostication of patients referred for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the role of aortic valve tissue composition from quantitative cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) for the differentiation of disease subtypes and prognostication after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods And Results: Our study included 447 consecutive AS patients from six high-volume centres reporting to a prospective nationwide registry of TAVI procedures (POL-TAVI), who underwent cardiac CTA before TAVI, and 224 matched controls with normal aortic valves. Components of aortic valve tissue were identified using semi-automated software as calcific and non-calcific.

Artificial aortic valve dysfunction due to pannus and thrombus - different methods of cardiac surgical management.

Introduction: Approximately 60 000 prosthetic valves are implanted annually in the USA. The risk of prosthesis dysfunction ranges from 0.1% to 4% per year.

Independent predictors of early mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting in a single centre experience--does gender matter?

Background: It is commonly believed that women undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) are subject to a higher risk of perioperative complications and death.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of sex as a risk factor on early complications and mortality after isolated CABG performed with cardiopulmonary bypass, and to evaluate the profile of the risk determined by the patient's sex.

Methods: Data derived from 2,194 surgical procedures performed in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Medical University of Lodz between January 2009 and March 2011 was analysed.

Isolated coronary artery bypass grafting in extracorporeal circulation in patients over 65 years old - does age still matter?

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is conducted more and more commonly in patients in advanced age.

Aim Of The Study: To analyze the influence of age and concurrent risk factors on the complications and early mortality after CABG.

Material And Methods: Medical records of 2194 patients were analyzed retrospectively.

Biological artificial valve dysfunction - single-centre, observational echocardiographic study in patients operated on before age 65 years.

Introduction: Patients with implanted bioprostheses are at risk of structural dysfunction which results from the limited durability of biological valves. The aim of this study was to analyse the mechanism of bioprosthesis degeneration and to evaluate the usability of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography in determining the indications for reoperation in 117 patients with a bioprosthesis implanted before 65 years old.

Material And Methods: The study comprised 117 consecutive patients (M - 27, F - 90, age 48-74 years, 57.

Long-lasting durability of Carpentier-Edwards pericardial bovine bioprosthesis in mitral position - a case report of unfavourable post redo valve surgery course.

We describe a 73 year-old patient with mitral valve pericardial bioprosthesis Carpentier-Edwards 29M implanted due to the rheumatic mitral stenosis 21 years ago. Hemodynamic destabilisation had emerged 18 months before the admission. Echocardiography revealed significant bioprosthesis degeneration with calcification of its leaflets, small pannus on the bioprosthetic ring, moderate mitral stenosis, severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation with high pulmonary hypertension and moderate aortic regurgitation.

Intrapericardial lipoma: diagnosed unexpectedly and resected during coronary artery bypass surgery.

Cardiac lipomas are extremely rare tumors, they usually remain asymptomatic and are detected incidentally, mostly during autopsies. In symptomatic patients, the diagnosis can easily be made by echocardiography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. We report a case of pericardial lipoma found unexpectedly during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.

The role of elective coronary surgery early after acute myocardial infarction in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: There is a group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), who, according to results of emergency coronary angiography and regardless of performed or not performed primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), are qualified for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The authors have not found a publication that focuses on this problem. They tried to determine the base-line characteristic of this subgroup as well as appreciate its operative surgical risk.

[Heart condition before and after surgical treatment of atrial septal defect type II in adults].

Unlabelled: ASD t. II is one of the common congenital heart abnormalities in adults. Early surgical or percutaneous correction in childhood is recommended, but in adults indications to surgical treatment are still controversial.