Description of the aortic root anatomy in relation to transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a less invasive treatment than surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis. Understanding the anatomy of aortic valve complex may help in optimal positioning of prosthetic valve and circumvent complications that can arise during its implantation.

Material And Methods: The anatomy of aortic root was studied in 30 formalin-fixed cadavers.

Histological topography of the atrioventricular node and its extensions in relation to the cardiothoracic surgical landmarks in normal human hearts.

Background: Atrioventricular (AV) nodal injury which results in cardiac conduction disorders is one of the potential complications of heart valve surgeries and radiofrequency catheter ablations. Understanding the topography of the AV conduction system in relation to the tricuspid and mitral valves will help in reducing these complications.

Methods: A tissue block of 3cmx4cm, which contain the AV node, bundle of His and the AV nodal extensions, was excised at the AV septal junction in 20 apparently normal human hearts.

Variant origin and course of left circumflex coronary artery.

Variant origin of left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) from right aortic sinus is a well-recognized coronary variation, usually without any clinical consequences. However, the variant origin and trajectory of the artery may have major implications during percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery surgery, aortic and mitral valve replacement procedures. We observed a variant LCx in a heart specimen belonging to 45-year-female with no history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

Spatial relationship of coronary sinus-great cardiac vein to mitral valve annulus and left circumflex coronary artery: implications for cardiovascular interventional procedures.

Background: The spatial relationship of the coronary sinus-great cardiac vein (CS-GCV) to free posterior portion of the mitral valve annulus (MVA) and left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) has gained importance with the advent of cardiovascular interventional procedures such as percutaneous transvenous mitral annuloplasty (PTMA) and mitral isthmus (MI) ablation.

Methods: In 50 normal (nondilated cardiomyopathy, or non-DCM) and 20 dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) cadaveric hearts, the diameter and distance from the MVA of CS-GCV and its spatial relationship to LCx along the free posterior portion of the MVA were studied.

Results: The diameter of the CS-GCV increased from the beginning to termination in both non-DCM and DCM cases.

Spatial relationship of coronary sinus-great cardiac vein with adjoining anatomic structures: a key element in predicting the success of percutaneous transvenous mitral annuloplasty.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Knowledge of the anatomy of the coronary venous system and its relationship with the mitral valve annulus (MVA) and coronary arteries is a key element to successful percutaneous transvenous mitral annuloplasty (PTMA) device implantation for treating patients with severe mitral regurgitation.

Methods: The spatial relationship of the coronary sinus-great cardiac vein (CS-GCV) with the MVA, left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) and its branches was examined in 120 formalin-fixed adult human cadaveric hearts.

Results: During the initial part of its journey, the CS-GCV was seen to course along and parallel to the plane of the MVA in 109 cases (90.

Study of spatial relationship of phrenic nerves with cardiac structures relevant to electrophysiologic interventions.

Background: Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation with catheter ablation in treating atrial fibrillation carries the risk of injury to phrenic nerve (PN). Left PN (LPN) stimulation continues to be one of the common complications of transvenous left ventricular lead placement during cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Methods And Results: In 30 formalin-fixed cadavers, spatial relationship of PNs with PV ostia, left atrial appendage (LAA), and cardiac veins was observed.