Holographic mixed reality for planning transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Using three-dimensional (3D) modalities for optimal pre-procedure planning in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is critical for procedural success. However, current methods rely on visualizing images on a two-dimensional screen, using shading and colors to create the illusion of 3D, potentially impeding the accurate comprehension of the actual anatomy structures. In contrast, a new Mixed Reality (MxR) based software enables accurate 3D visualization, imaging manipulation, and quantification of measurements.

[Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology (GISE) and Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (SIIA) Consensus document on the role of renal denervation in the management of the difficult to treat hypertension].

Arterial hypertension is the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor worldwide. Despite the availability of many and effective antihypertensive medications, the prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) remains high. As sympathetic hyperactivity has long been recognized as a major contributor to resistant hypertension, catheter-based renal denervation (RDN) has emerged as a new strategy to reduce BP.

Immunomodulation Therapies for Atherosclerosis: The Past, the Present, and the Future.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and death worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated that this chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall can be controlled through the modulation of immune system activity. Many patients with cardiovascular disease remain at elevated risk of recurrent events despite receiving current, state-of-the-art preventive medical treatment.

Rationale and design of the sirolimus eluting balloon utilization for treatment of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction: the SUASION Registry.

Background: Conventional angioplasty balloon catheter, drug coated balloon (DCB), or angioplasty with drug eluting stent (DES) have been used on the percutaneous treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Currently available DCBs are paclitaxel eluting balloon (PEB), very recently, sirolimus eluting balloon (SEB). Although endovascular revascularization with balloon resulted in improvement of ED, there have been no prior reports on the feasibility of SEB treatment for ED.

Autologous Immune Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies to Treat Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction: Is the Immuno-Centric Revolution Ready for the Prime Time?

About 35% of patients affected by erectile dysfunction (ED) do not respond to oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) and more severe vasculogenic refractory ED affects diabetic patients. Innovative approaches, such as regenerative therapies, including stem cell therapy (SCT) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), are currently under investigation. Recent data point out that the regenerative capacity of stem cells is strongly influenced by local immune responses, with macrophages playing a pivotal role in the injury response and as a coordinator of tissue regeneration, suggesting that control of the immune response could be an appealing approach in regenerative medicine.

Challenges and Open Issues in Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation: Smooth Seas Do Not Make Skillful Sailors.

According to the European and American guidelines, surgery represents the treatment of choice for mitral valve (MV) disease. However, a number of patients are deemed unsuitable for surgery due to a prohibitive/high operative risk. In such cases, transcatheter therapies aiming at MV repair have been proven to be a valuable alternative and have been recently introduced in the latest American guidelines on valvular heart disease.

Plaque Prolapse after Stent Implantation in Ectasiant Coronary Artery Atherosclerotic Disease and Large Plaque Burden.

Plaque prolapse (PP) is commonly defined as tissue extrusion through the stent strut. It is not a rare event, frequently detected by intravascular ultrasound, and it is associated with stent thrombosis and adverse outcomes. We present a case of PP after stenting of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Endovascular Bariatric Surgery as Novel Minimally Invasive Technique for Weight Management in the Morbidly Obese: Review of the Literature.

Nowadays, obesity represents one of the most unresolved global pandemics, posing a critical health issue in developed countries. According to the World Health Organization, its prevalence has tripled since 1975, reaching a prevalence of 13% of the world population in 2016. Indeed, as obesity increases worldwide, novel strategies to fight this condition are of the utmost importance to reduce obese-related morbidity and overall mortality related to its complications.

Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Molecular Mechanisms, and Clinical Management of Erectile Dysfunction in Patients Affected by Coronary Artery Disease: A Review.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been defined as the inability to attain or maintain penile erection sufficient for successful sexual intercourse. ED carries a notable influence on life quality, with significant implications for family and social relationships. Because atherosclerosis of penile arteries represents one of the most frequent ED causes, patients presenting with it should always be investigated for potential coexistent coronary or peripheral disease.

Who Has Seen Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction? First Results From Italian Real-World Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background After the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, social isolation measures were introduced to contain infection. Although there is currently a slowing down of the infection, a reduction of hospitalizations, especially for myocardial infarction, was observed. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of the infectious disease on ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, through the analysis of recent cases of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Remote monitoring: Doomed to let down or an attractive promise?

Device interrogation and management are time consuming, representing a relevant burden for pacing centers. In several situations, patients' management requires additional follow up visits. Remote Monitoring (RM) allows an optimal recall management and a rapid diagnosis of device or lead failure, without the need of additional in office visits.

[Endovascular treatment of symptomatic carotid artery dissection].

Internal carotid artery dissection is one of the possible causes of stroke in young adults. The effectiveness of medical therapy alone is often limited and endovascular strategy should be considered, particularly in the presence of persisting neurological symptoms. Currently, there is no general consensus on the most appropriate therapeutic strategy to follow in symptomatic carotid artery dissection.

Clinical outcomes of complex real-world diabetic patients treated with amphilimus sirolimus-eluting stents or zotarolimus-eluting stents: A single-center registry.

Objective: To assess clinical outcomes of Amphilimus Sirolimus-Eluting Stents (A-SES) as compared to Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents (ZES) in complex real-world diabetic patients.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus represent one of the most challenging scenarios with high rates of restenosis and stent thrombosis in the current era of drug-eluting stents. Hence, we assessed the safety of A-SES versus ZES in complex diabetic patients.

Percutaneous Device to Narrow the Coronary Sinus: Shifting Paradigm in the Treatment of Refractory Angina? A Review of the Literature.

Refractory angina pectoris is defined as a chronic debilitating condition characterized by the presence of chronic anginal symptoms due to a severe obstructive and/or diffuse coronary artery disease that cannot be controlled by the combination of medical therapy and/or revascularization (percutaneous or surgical). In addition, the presence of myocardial ischemia as a cause of the symptoms must have been documented. The coronary sinus reducer (CSR) is a recently introduced percutaneous device to treat patients with severe anginal symptoms refractory to optimal medical therapy and not amenable to conventional revascularization.

[Innovative therapies for the treatment of refractory angina: the Reducer, a percutaneous device to narrow the coronary sinus].

Refractory angina is a chronic condition characterized by the presence of disabling symptoms due to severe obstructive coronary artery disease that is not improved by a combination of medical therapy and percutaneous or surgical revascularization. Mortality rates associated with this condition are quite low in clinically stable patients on optimal medical therapy, but rehospitalization rates remain high. This mandates the need for new therapies targeting an improvement of symptoms in this population, taking into account also the potential impact in terms of healthcare and costs.

Effects of blood transfusion on exercise capacity in thalassemia major patients.

Anemia has an important role in exercise performance. However, the direct link between rapid changes of hemoglobin and exercise performance is still unknown.To find out more on this topic, we studied 18 beta-thalassemia major patients free of relevant cardiac dysfunction (age 33.

Definition of minimal duplicated region encompassing the XIAP and STAG2 genes in the Xq25 microduplication syndrome.

Typical Xq25 duplications are large and associated with heterogeneous phenotypes. Recently, small duplications involving this genomic region and encompassing the GRIA3 and STAG2 genes have been reported. These Xq25 microduplications are associated with a recognizable syndrome including intellectual disability and distinctive facial appearance.

Accessory mitral valve: a rare cause of asymptomatic severe left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Accessory mitral valve (AMV) is an extremely uncommon congenital cardiac anomaly and it is a rare cause of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Identification of asymptomatic patients with LVOT obstruction is uncommon since the symptoms usually become manifest when the gradient across the LVOT rises. We describe a rare case of asymptomatic AMV with severe LVOT obstruction in a 10-year old child with no other congenital or acquired cardiac defects who successful underwent surgery.