Thirty-year results after implantation of the Björk-Shiley Convexo-Concave Heart valve prosthesis.

Background: Modifications of the Björk-Shiley valve prosthesis have shown good long-term results. The convexo-concave model, however, was recalled 27 years ago because of a propensity for breakage due to outlet strut fracture. The objective of this study is to describe the 30-year outcome after implantation of the Björk-Shiley convexo-concave mechanical heart valve prosthesis (Pfizer, Rye Brook, NY).

Comparison of results of coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention in octogenarians.

The aim of the present study was to compare the outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients aged ≥80 years. The present analysis included 274 patients who underwent isolated CABG and 393 patients who underwent PCI. The patients undergoing PCI had a greater prevalence of a history of cardiac surgery and recent myocardial infarction and had more frequently undergone emergency revascularization.

Initial healing of sternotomy wounds: correlation between preoperative data and wound inflammatory cell response.

Local inflammation after a surgical incision is an essential prerequisite for wound healing and later scar formation both in children and adults. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly known and need further investigations. In this study, one hundred sternotomy patients, operated on routinely for cardiac disease, were studied with the Cellstick device to harvest wound inflammatory cells for differential count and subsequent computerized analysis using an artificial neural network.