Right Anterior Minithoracotomy Approach for Aortic Valve Replacement.

By sparing the sternum, the right anterior minithoracotomy (RAMT) approach may facilitate a quicker functional recovery when compared with conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR). In the following review, outcomes after RAMT AVR are compared with full sternotomy AVR. The RAMT approach is described, including suggestions for patient selection.

Right anterior mini thoracotomy for redo cardiac surgery: case series from North America and Europe.

Background: Right anterior mini thoracotomy (RAMT) for aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a minimally invasive procedure that avoids sternotomy. Herein, we report the outcomes of patients who underwent redo-cardiac via a RAMT approach for AVR.

Methods: This case series reports the clinical outcomes of 14 consecutive redo operations, done in Calgary (Canada) and Gdansk (Poland) between 2020 and 2023.

Sex Differences in Trends in Incidence of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair and Aortic Dissection: 2005-2015.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine trends in the incidence of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) repair and aortic dissection.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of patients from the period 2005-2015 with thoracic aortic disease. Unadjusted mortality was compared in women vs men.

Increased Travel Time to the Tertiary Centre Is Associated With Decreased Long-term Survival Following Ascending Aortic Operations.

Background: The association between travel time from tertiary care centre and outcomes after ascending thoracic aortic surgery is unknown. We determined the effect of travel time from the tertiary care centre on outcomes in ascending aortic repair in Nova Scotia.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing elective and emergent ascending thoracic aortic operations from 2005 to 2015 was carried out.

Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2019 Case of the Week series.

The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) is an international society focused on the research, education, and clinical application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). The SCMR web site ( https://www.scmr.

Minimally Invasive Hybrid Approach to High Risk Mitral Disease With Severe Mitral Annular Calcification.

Severe circumferential mitral annular calcification (MAC) remains a significant challenge, complicating surgical treatment of mitral valve disease. Transcatheter treatment options are attractive; however, they remain fraught with risks of annular fixation, paravalvular leak, atrioventricular-groove disruption, and left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction. We describe a novel minimally invasive hybrid technique of transcatheter mitral valve replacement in a patient with severe circumferential MAC.

Cardiac Resynchronization in Women: A Substudy of the Resynchronization-Defibrillation for Ambulatory Heart Failure Trial.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) as compared with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) on mortality, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and ventricular arrhythmia in women versus men.

Background: CRT-D has demonstrated reduced mortality and HF hospitalizations with greater benefit observed in women compared with men. However, whether CRT-D prevented ventricular arrhythmias in women compared with men was unclear.