Medium-term outcome of Toronto aortic valve replacement: single center experience.

Background And Aims: Long-term competence of any aortic prosthesis is critical to its clinical durability. Bioprosthetic valves, and in particular the stentless type have been proposed to offer superior haemodynamic profiles with consequent potential for superior left-ventricular mass regression. These benefits however are balanced by the potential longevity of the implanted valve.

Ventricular endocrine and mechanical function following thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess natriuretic peptide release following acute myocardial infarction, and its relationship with ventricular function.

Methods: A total of 44 patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied; 13 anterior, age (57+/-12 years) and 31 inferior, age (58+/-12 years). Peptide levels and left ventricular function by echocardiography were assessed at admission and on days 7 and 30 after thrombolysis.

Dobutamine stress-induced ischemic right ventricular dysfunction and its relation to cardiac output in patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease with angina-like symptoms.

We investigated markers of ischemic dysfunction and their relation to overall right ventricular (RV) performance during dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients who had coronary artery disease. Thirty-three patients (58 +/- 10 years old) who had 3-vessel coronary artery disease were compared with 17 age-matched controls (58 +/- 11 years old). RV long-axis amplitude (M mode), systolic and diastolic myocardial tissue Doppler velocities, and filling and ejection velocities were measured, and cardiac output (CO) was calculated at rest and during peak stress.

Opposite effects of coronary artery disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on left ventricular long axis function during dobutamine stress.

Background: The mechanism for reduced early diastolic long axis lengthening velocity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is not known.

Methods: We measured simultaneous septal long axis amplitude and early lengthening velocity in 23 patients with HCM, 23 normal subjects and 22 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) of left anterior descending artery.

Results: Resting amplitude and lengthening velocity were reduced in HCM 0.

Systole-diastole mismatch in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by stress induced left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Background: Pharmacological stress is used to assess the degree of left ventricular (LV) subvalvular gradient in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but there is little information about associated physiological changes.

Methods: Echocardiography-Doppler ultrasound scanning measurements in 23 patients with HCM and 23 control subjects of similar age were studied at rest and at the end point of dobutamine stress.

Results: In patients, the systolic time was normal at rest, but increased abnormally with stress.

The effect of the Q wave infarct on left ventricular electromechanical function.

Objective: To assess the nature of left ventricular (LV) electrical and mechanical dysfunction in Q compared to non-Q anterior myocardial infarction (MI).

Subjects: We used ECG and echocardiography to study 54 unselected patients, age 57+/-15 years, 32 male, with old (>6 months after) anterior MI (39 Q and 15 non-Q), confirmed by enzyme rise and regional wall motion abnormality, and compared them with 21 normals of similar age.

Methods: Analysis of resting LV minor and long axis function and 12-lead surface electrocardiogram.

Evidence for rheumatic valve disease in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation long after mitral valve surgery: the role of 3D echo reconstruction.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Although severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a well-recognized, long-term complication of rheumatic mitral valve replacement that impairs the functional results of surgery, its exact basis remains unclear and its management is unsatisfactory. The study aim was to obtain a detailed assessment of tricuspid valve morphology and function using 2D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with 3D reconstruction, and to determine long-term clinical outcome in patients after surgery for rheumatic mitral valve disease.

Methods: A total of 42 patients (mean age 50 +/- 10 years) was followed up; 39 patients had mitral replacement and three had valvotomy.

The effect of the localization of Q wave myocardial infarction on ventricular electromechanics.

Background: The exact location of a Q wave myocardial infarction has an important effect on overall left ventricular function.

Objectives: To assess the effect of localization of Q wave infarction on left ventricular minor and long axis function, with particular reference to electromechanical disturbances.

Methods: We studied 72 patients with Q wave myocardial infarction; 35 anterior, age 61+/-15 years and 37 inferior, age 62+/-12 years.