Publications by authors named "Antonio G Cammardella"

The transfemoral (TF) approach is the most common route in TAVI, but it is still associated with a risk of bleeding and vascular complications. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between surgical cut-down (SC) and percutaneous (PC) approach. (2) Between January 2018 and June 2022, 774 patients underwent a transfemoral TAVI procedure.

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The tricuspid valve, long neglected as a passive structure and often termed the "forgotten valve", has recently gained attention from the international medical and cardiological community due to the association of tricuspid regurgitation with an unfavorable prognosis. Isolated tricuspid regurgitation represents a relatively unknown and variable condition, closely linked to the shape and function of the right ventricle and the state of the pulmonary circulation. Currently, guidelines are not clear regarding the optimal treatment strategy, the process of patient selection, and the surgical or transcatheter procedural timing, nor for predicting patient outcomes.

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Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an ultra-rare genetic premature aging disease that is historically fatal in teenage years, secondary to severe accelerated atherosclerosis. The only approved treatment is the farnesyltransferase inhibitor lonafarnib, which improves vascular structure and function, extending average untreated lifespan of 14.5 years by 4.

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Article Synopsis
  • Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is effective for severe aortic valve stenosis, even in patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but the effectiveness of specific TAVR devices in this group is unclear.
  • The LOSTAVI study analyzed 923 patients with varying levels of LVEF (<25%, 25-30%, 31-35%) and found that while in-hospital mortality rates were similar, patients with extremely low LVEF experienced more major adverse events.
  • At 12 months, reduced LVEF significantly impacted mortality and adverse events, confirming its importance in patient prognosis, while TAVR device type did not influence these outcomes.*
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Background: Retained cardiac missiles have been considered bullets, shrapnel, or pellets included in the heart or the pericardial sac. In asymptomatic patients with retained cardiac missiles, the role of surgery is still debated.

Case Summary: We describe the case of successful surgical treatment of a retained missile localized within the left ventricle in close proximity of the posterior mitral leaflet.

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Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is emerging as an appealing management strategy for patients with severe aortic stenosis at intermediate, high or exceedingly high risk, but its risk-benefit profile in younger patients is less certain. We aimed to explore the outlook of patients aged 70 years or less and undergoing TAVI at 2 high-volume Italian institutions.

Methods: We retrospectively collected baseline, imaging, procedural and outcome features of patients with age ≤70 years in whom TAVI was attempted at participating centers between 2012 and 2021.

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Background: Optimal access for transcatheter aortic valve implantation is still a matter of debate. A tailored approach for patient anatomy is mandatory to reduce vascular complications and improve outcomes.

Aims: To optimize surgical technique in challenge scenario.

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Left ventricular aneurysms (LVA) are a complication of myocardial infarction, that rarely involve the posterior wall; surgical repair of posterior LVA poses a technical challenge when associated with concomitant mitral regurgitation. We describe a minimally invasive treatment of ischemic MR and concomitant patch exclusion of posterior LVA through a right minithoracotomy. Using a transatrial approach, the aneurysm is closed with a "U" shaped dacron patch, whose base is anchored to the mitral annulus.

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Structural valve degeneration, valve thrombosis, or acute infective endocarditis may affect the postprocedural outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implanted (TAVI) prostheses. Data of patients who required late surgical explant of TAVI prostheses were obtained from 8 European centers. There were 13 patients who underwent surgical treatment for TAVI prosthesis failure after original admission due to prosthetic infective endocarditis in 6 patients, structural valve degeneration in 4, and valve thrombosis in 3.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes premature aging in children and leads to severe health issues, primarily cardiovascular problems.
  • Most patients are managed conservatively when they have severe aortic valve stenosis, a common complication.
  • This study presents the first successful case of a 23-year-old patient with the syndrome who received a transcatheter aortic valve replacement, showing a new treatment approach.
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Background And Aim Of The Study: Today there is little experience with minimally invasive treatment of multiple valve disease and no standard techniques have been provided yet. We report our early experience with combined aortic and mitral valve surgery with or without tricuspid surgery through a right lateral minithoracotomy (RmT), describing the technical aspects of our approach.

Methods: From April 2017 to April 2019 thirty patients with mitro-aortic valve disease or with triple valve pathology underwent surgery through a 3 to 4 cm lateral RmT into the third intercostal space.

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Primary cardiac tumors are uncommon, and lipoma is the second most frequent benign type after myxoma. The treatment of choice is surgery, with the complete excision of the mass. Nevertheless, in the absence of symptoms and clinical signs the indication for surgery is less defined, and close follow up may be recommended.

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