Independent Clinical and Echocardiographic Predictors of Restenosis After Percutaneous Mitral Balloon Commissurotomy in a Large, Consecutive Cohort Followed for 24 Years.

Objective: To enlighten preprocedural risk factors of mitral valve restenosis in a large, single-center cohort of patients submitted to percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy (PMBC) for the treatment of mitral stenosis (MS) secondary to rheumatic heart disease.

Methods: This is a database analysis of a single-center, high-volume tertiary institution involving all consecutive PMBC procedures performed in the mitral valve (MV). Restenosis was diagnosed when MV area was <1.

Novel Prognostic Score for Immediate and Late Success After Percutaneous Mitral Balloon Commissurotomy in Patients With Mitral Stenosis.

Objectives: Percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy (PMBC) remains the preferred treatment for patients with severe symptomatic rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) and suitable anatomy. The objective of this study was to propose a new score for the prediction of immediate and late success.

Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective analysis of all 1582 patients with severe mitral stenosis who underwent PMBC from August 1987 to July 2010.

Very Long Term Follow-Up After Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess very long term outcomes after successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV).

Background: PBMV remains the preferred treatment for patients with severe symptomatic rheumatic mitral stenosis and suitable anatomy.

Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent successful PBMV between 1987 and 2010 were included.

Prospective comparison between three TAVR devices: ACURATE neo vs. CoreValve vs. SAPIEN XT. A single heart team experience in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Objective: We sought to compare the new transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) device ACURATE neo (ACT) with the already established CoreValve (MCV) and SAPIEN XT (SXT) for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (AS).

Background: Very few data on TAVR devices are available beyond MCV and SAPIEN and there is no previous study comparing ACT with MCV and SXT.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated consecutive patients who underwent transfemoral TAVR for the treatment of severe AS.

Fibrinolytic therapy for thrombosis in cardiac valvular prosthesis short and long term results.

Objective: To assess the short- and long-term results of the use of streptokinase (SK) for the treatment of thromboses in cardiac valvular prostheses.

Methods: Seventeen patients with cardiac prosthetic thrombosis diagnosed by clinical, echocardiographic, and radioscopic findings underwent fibrinolytic treatment with a streptokinase bolus of 250,000 U followed by 100.000 U/hour.

Consequences of the prolonged waiting time for patient candidates for heart surgery.

Objective: To assess mortality and the psychological repercussions of the prolonged waiting time for candidates for heart surgery.

Methods: From July 1999 to May 2000, using a standardized questionnaire, we carried out standardized interviews and semi-structured psychological interviews with 484 patients with coronary heart disease, 121 patients with valvular heart diseases, and 100 patients with congenital heart diseases.

Results: The coefficients of mortality (deaths per 100 patients/year) were as follows: patients with coronary heart disease, 5.