Cardioband system as a treatment for functional mitral regurgitation.

Introduction: Are the current data on the Cardioband in the clinical area enough to consider it a tool for mitral regurgitation treatment? Severe secondary mitral valve insufficiency frequently affects high-risk surgical patients. The Cardioband system is a novel percutaneous surgical-like device for direct annuloplasty. It is implanted into the beating heart by transvenous femoral access, with minimal impact on hemodynamic and cardiac function during implantation.

Recent advances in understanding and managing aortic stenosis.

Over the last few years, treatment of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis in high-risk patients has drastically changed to adopt a less-invasive approach. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been developed as a very reproducible and safe procedure, as shown in many trials. When compared to surgery, TAVI has produced superior, or at least comparable, results, and thus a trend to broaden treatment indications to lower-risk patients has erupted as a natural consequence, even though there is a lack of long-term evidence.

Hidden in the heart: A peculiar type of left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction.

We reported an unusual case of left ventricular pouch, in a 72-year-old man who had an acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous revascularization. The echocardiogram showed a sort of pouch, delimited by epicardium and endocardium, confirmed by 3D echo. This finding appeared as an echo free area, with a really slight color flow inside.

Age at menopause: A fundamental data of interest to acquire in female patients' anamnesis.

Although menopause is a universal phenomenon among women, the timing of the onset and the duration of the menopausal transition and the timing of the final menstrual period are not so codified. Compelling evidence supports the idea that the different impact of cardiovascular disease and the differences in vascular biology in men and women may be, at least in part, related to the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of sex steroid hormones. Indeed, androgens and estrogens influence a multitude of vascular biological processes and their cardiovascular effects are multifaceted.

Recent Developments in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Evolution or Revolution?

Intraluminal aortic clamping has been achieved until now by means of a sophisticated device consisting of a three-lumen catheter named Endoclamp, which allows at the same time occlusion of the aorta, antegrade delivering of cardioplegia, and venting through the aortic root. This tool has shown important advantages allowing aortic occlusion and perfusate delivering without a direct contact with ascending aorta reducing meanwhile the risk of traumatic and/or iatrogenic injuries. Recently, a new device (Intraclude catheter) with the same characteristics and properties has been proposed and introduced in clinical practice.

Rosuvastatin pretreatment in patients undergoing elective PCI to reduce the incidence of myocardial periprocedural necrosis: the ROMA trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of the high-dose rosuvastatin preadministration in reducing periprocedural myocardial necrosis and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Elective PCI may be complicated with an elevation of cardiac biomarkers. Several studies suggested that pretreatment with statins may be associated with a reduction in periprocedural myocardial necrosis.

Beneficial impact of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation.

Background:  Twelve-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) with aspirin and clopidogrel after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is routinely recommended. It is unclear if prolonged (>12-month) DAT is also favorable. We compared the outcome of patients discontinuing DAT 12 months after off-label DES implantation versus those with DAT for >12 months.

Long-term outcome after drug-eluting stent implantation in unselected population: ROME and UDINE experience (the RUDI registry).

Objectives: The aim of our study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DES implantation in an unselected, "real world," high-risk population.

Background: Several clinical trials showed that drug-eluting stents (DESs) implantation is safe and effective in selected population. In spite of these encouraging results, there are some concerns about "real world" utilization of these stents.