Transcatheter aortic valve implantation and off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: an effective hybrid procedure in selected patients.

Objectives: Simultaneous surgical off-pump coronary revascularization and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as a hybrid procedure may be a therapeutic option for patients with a TAVI indication who are not suitable for percutaneous coronary intervention and for patients who have an indication for combined surgical aortic valve implantation and coronary artery bypass grafting but present with a porcelain aorta. Early outcomes of these patients are analysed in this study.

Methods: From February 2011 to April 2017, hybrid TAVI/off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) was performed in 12 (60%) patients, hybrid TAVI/minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass in 6 (30%) patients and staged TAVI/OPCAB in 2 (10%) patients.

First-in-man experience with a new 7F vascular closure device (EXOSEAL™): the 7F ECLIPSE study.

Objective: This feasibility study examined safety and effectiveness of the new EXOSEAL™ Vascular Closure Device (VCD) designed to promote hemostasis and early ambulation after percutaneous procedures.

Background: Most VCDs currently approved by the United States FDA have been associated with significantly shorter time-to-hemostasis (TTH) and time-to-ambulation (TTA) compared to standard manual or mechanical compression, but their ease of use, patient comfort during deployment, and safety profiles are variable.

Methods: Patients underwent diagnostic or interventional procedures using 7F introducer sheaths.

Analysis of myocardial perfusion or myocardial function for detection of regional myocardial abnormalities. An echocardiographic multicenter comparison study using myocardial contrast echocardiography and 2D echocardiography.

Background: Echocardiography based myocardial perfusion imaging and regional wall motion analysis are used for evaluation of coronary artery disease and regional myocardial abnormalities.

Aim: This study sought to compare myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) and 2D echocardiography with regard to interobserver variability and detection of regional myocardial abnormalities.

Methods: In 70 patients evenly distributed between three ejection fraction groups based on biplane cineventriculography ( > 55%, 35-55%, < 35%), unenhanced and contrast enhanced 2D echocardiography and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE; SonoVue; Bracco) were performed.

Adenosine myocardial contrast echo in intermediate severity coronary stenoses: a prospective two-center study.

Background: We sought to evaluate the role of adenosine myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) for the determination of functional relevance of coronary stenoses with intermediate angiographic severity and compared the results to single photon imaging (SPECT). We hypothezised that sole assessment of myocardial blood volume changes during adenosine on MCE would indicate functional stensosis relevance when accompanied by increased myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2).

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with >or=1 coronary stenosis underwent adenosine MCE (ultraharmonic imaging) and exercise SPECT.

Analysis of regional left ventricular function by cineventriculography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and unenhanced and contrast-enhanced echocardiography: a multicenter comparison of methods.

Objectives: To define the use of cineventriculography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), and unenhanced and contrast-enhanced echocardiography for detection of left ventricular (LV) regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA).

Background: Detection of RWMA is integral to the evaluation of LV function.

Methods: In 100 patients, cineventriculography and unenhanced and contrast-enhanced echocardiography were performed.

Correlation between ECG and myocardial perfusion after mechanical reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction.

Unlabelled: The identification of viable myocardium after myocardial infarction (MI) carries major prognostic impact. Due to myocardial stunning early after successful mechanical reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction, analysis of myocardial perfusion but not of contractile function can be used to differentiate between necrotic and viable myocardium. Although being widely regarded as an indicator of infarct transmurality, the relation between post-infarct Q-wave formation and the amount of viable myocardium has not been studied.

Assessment of systolic left ventricular function: a multi-centre comparison of cineventriculography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, unenhanced and contrast-enhanced echocardiography.

Aims: To assess the agreement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determinations from unenhanced echocardiography, contrast-enhanced echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cineventriculography as well as the inter-observer agreement for each method.

Methods And Results: In 120 patients, with evenly distributed EF-groups (> 55, 35-55, < 35%), cineventriculography, unenhanced echocardiography with second harmonic imaging, and contrast echocardiography at low mechanical index with iv administration of SonoVue were performed. In addition, cardiac MRI at 1.

Incremental value of cardiac imaging in patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain and without ST-segment elevation: a multicenter study.

Background: We hypothesized that imaging of regional myocardial function (RF) and perfusion (PER) will add incremental value for both diagnosis and short-term prognosis to routine demographic, clinical, and electrocardiographic findings in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain and without ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram.

Methods: We compared contrast echocardiography (CE) with gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for this purpose. Both CE and SPECT readings included separate and composite assessments of both RF and PER.

Cardiac malignant tumor as a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction is predominantly caused by coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque rupture and subsequent occlusive thrombus formation. The recognition of less common causes of acute myocardial infarction is important because they may require a different treatment strategy. We report a patient with acute myocardial infarction without any angiographic evidence of coronary atherosclerosis and a left atrial mass detected on echocardiography.

[Detection of myocardial viability with venous contrast echocardiography immediately after reperfusion therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

Introduction: After reperfusion therapy of acute myocardial infarction not only the patency of infarct related artery (IRA) but uncompromised myocardial perfusion are essential for recovery of myocardial contractile function.

Aim: The authors sought to evaluate the relation between the status of myocardial microvasculature early after successful mechanical reperfusion therapy of AMI and contractile function at rest two weeks later.

Methods: Sixty-three patients with first acute myocardial infarction underwent venous myocardial contrast echocardiography (VMCE) 3 hours after successful percutaneous coronary intervention.