Frontal Plane QRS-T Angle as a Marker of Cardiac Iron Overload in Patients with Beta Thalassemia Major.

Introduction: Cardiomyopathy due to myocardial iron deposition is the leading cause of death in transfusion- dependent beta-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients. Although cardiac T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used for the early detection of cardiac iron level before the onset of symptoms associated with iron overload, this expensive method is not widely available in many hospitals. Frontal QRS-T angle is a novel marker of myocardial repolarization and is associated with adverse cardiac outcomes.

A rare cause of syncope in patients with situs inversus totalis and corrected transposition of the great arteries: Very late lead perforation.

Situs inversus c-TGA refers to a complex anatomical malformation. The risk of developing AV block increases by 2% per year. Pacemaker lead perforation is a rare but serious complication after pacemaker implantation and that develops more than 1 month is defined as late lead perforation.

Asymptomatic Cerebral Emboli Following Carotid Artery Stenting: A Diffusion-Weighted MRI Study.

Background: Silent cranial embolism due to carotid artery stenting has been demonstrated to cause dementia, cognitive decline, and even ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to compare the periprocedural asymptomatic cranial embolism rates of different stent designs used for extracranial carotid stenosis with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods: A total of 507 consecutive patients who underwent carotid artery stenting at our center from December 2010 to June 2020 (mean age, 66.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation through the brachial artery.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been increasingly used in patients with severe aortic stenosis. The femoral artery is the most commonly used entry site for TAVI; however, other entry sites were also reported as transapical, transaortic, transaxillary/subclavian, and transcarotid in patients with occlusive peripheral arterial disease. In this report, a case of TAVI procedure through the brachial artery is presented.

Impact of direct stenting on clinical outcomes for small vessel coronary artery disease in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Direct stenting (DS) is associated with improved markers of reperfusion during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, data evaluating its impact in small vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) are lacking.

Aim: To compare DS and conventional stenting (CS) for small vessel CAD on clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Non-Complex Coronary Lesions: Is There a Different Impact on Thyroid Function?

Objective: This study assessed whether high levels of iodide administered during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) differentially influenced thyroid function compared to PCI for non-complex coronary lesions.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 615 patients were enrolled in the study; 205 underwent elective PCI for CTO lesions (Group I) and 410 underwent elective PCI for non-complex lesions including non-CTO, non-bifurcation, non-calcified, and non-tortuous lesions (Group II). Patients were monitored for development of incidental thyroid dysfunction between 1 and 6 months after PCI.

Is trans-radial approach related to an increased risk of radiation exposure in patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention? (The SAKARYA study).

Objective: It is still debatable whether diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) increase radiation exposure when performed via radial approach as compared to femoral approach. This question was investigated in this study by comparison of dose-area product (DAP), reference air kerma (RAK), and fluoroscopy time (FT) among radial and femoral approaches.

Methods: All coronary procedures between November 2015 and November 2017 were assessed; and 4215 coronary procedures were enrolled in the study.

Assessment of left ventricular function with tissue Doppler echocardiography and of B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an emerging minimally invasive treatment modality in high surgical risk or inoperable patients.

Aim: The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of TAVI on left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function and serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in high surgical risk or inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Methods: Fifty-five patients were included in our retrospective study.

Should physicians instead of industry representatives be the main actor of cardiac implantable electronic device follow-up? (Super Follow-up).

Objective: This retrospective study sought to research the adequacy of the follow-up and optimization of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) performed by industry representatives.

Methods: A total of 403 consecutive patients (35% females; median age, 67 years; age range 18-97 years) with either pacemakers (n=246), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), (n=117) or cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) (n=40) applied to our hospital's outpatient pacemaker clinic for follow-up. These patients had been followed up by industry representatives alone until September 2013 and then by a cardiologist who is dealing with cardiac electrophysiology and has a knowledge of CIED follow-up.

Relationship between mean platelet volume and ischemic stroke in patients with patent foramen ovale.

Objective: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is commonly encountered in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet reactivity, has been reported in recent trials to be higher in patients with PFO than in normal population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in MPV between patients with PFO and stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and that of patients with asymptomatic PFO.

Aortopulmonary window in adulthood: Surviving at 22 years without intervention or pulmonary vascular disease.

Aortopulmonary window is a rare anomaly, a communication between the ascending aorta and the main pulmonary artery. Prognosis in the absence of correction is poor, with mortality of around 40% in the first year of life. A case of aortopulmonary window without pulmonary vascular disease in adulthood is described in the present report.

Evaluation of the association between stroke/transient ischemic attack and atrial electromechanical delay in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the history of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and inter- and intra-atrial electromechanical delay (EMD) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with PAF were included in this retrospective study. Patients who had a history of stroke or TIA were defined as the symptomatic group, whereas those who did not have such a history were defined as the asymptomatic group.

Assessment of Impact of Weight Loss on Left and Right Ventricular Functions and Value of Tissue Doppler Echocardiography in Obese Patients.

Objective: In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of weight loss on left and right ventricular functions in obese patients.

Methods: Thirty patients with a BMI greater than 30 kg/m(2) and without any exclusion criteria were included in the study. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions were assessed with conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE).

Determinants of iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysm after cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention via the femoral artery.

Objective: This study aimed to define the prevalence and predictors for pseudoaneurysm after coronary angiography, cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed via the femoral artery.

Methods: The study included 8469 patients enrolled between January 2007 and December 2009 on whom cardiac catheterization, coronary and/or peripheral angiography and PCIs via the femoral artery were performed. All data, including clinical characteristics and complications, were obtained retrospectively from patient chart records.

Usefulness of mean platelet volume for predicting stroke risk in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice. It is important to specify patients with a high risk of thromboembolus due to elevated procoagulant and prothrombotic state. The aim of this study is to assess the relation of stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) with mean platelet volume (MPV), which is an indicator of platelet activation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

Clinical and morphological features of patients who underwent endovascular interventions for lower extremity arterial occlusive diseases.

Introduction: Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at increased risk for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.

Aim: To present anatomical and morphological characteristics of patients who underwent endovascular stenting with laboratory and our mid-term results.

Material And Methods: One hundred fifty-three patients (mean age: 62.