Allogenic heart valve bank in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology of Jagiellonian University in Cracow - 23 years experience in the treatment of aortic valve or aortic root diseases.

Allogenic aortic valves are widely used in case of native aortic valve or root disease as well as failed prosthetic valves with great success. At the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, aortic valve or aortic root replacement with allogenic aortic valve has been performed for 23 years. Allogenic heart valve bank was founded in 1980.

Outlined history of the development of the world and Polish cardiac surgery.

It was the dream of humanity to perform surgery on an open non-beating heart. Scientific and medical discoveries five thousand years ago in China, partially adopted by the Western civilization, laid, through ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome and, later on in the Renaissance, the foundations for the development of empirical medicine. The 19th and the 20th centuries shoved dynamic scientific and technical development in various fields including medicine and surgery whose importance grew with the necessity to help the patients wounded in the wars.

[Surgical treatment of mitral valve malformations--25 years of experience].

During a period of 25 years (1979-2004), 24060 operations with extracorporeal circulation were performed. Of them 9536 (39.6%) were valvular procedures and 763 were combined with coronary bypass grafting.

Mineralization and organic phase modifications as contributory factors of accelerated degeneration in homograft aortic valves.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The study aim was to assess histological and mineralogical properties of leaflets in human, antibiotic-preserved aortic homograft valves (recovered during surgical replacement) in order to identify factors accounting for pathological changes leading to accelerated graft dysfunction. A comparison was made with aortic valves prepared for grafting, with a view to assessing morphological and mineralogical characteristics as a potential preimplantation risk factor.

Methods: Valve leaflets were examined with light and scanning electron microscopy.

Reoperation after fresh homograft replacement: 23 years' experience with 655 patients.

Objective: Through a retrospective study on the use of fresh homografts in 655 aortic valve replacement patients over a period of 23 years, we aimed to assess the reasons for eventual reoperation and causes of valve dysfunction.

Methods: Between January 1980 and December 2002, 655 patients received fresh homografts. All homografts were antibiotic sterilized and stored at 4 degrees C.

[Levels of troponin I, tropoinin T, isoenzyme MB creatine kinase and myoglobins in blood serum for perioperative diagnosis of myocardial infarction in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery with extracorporeal circulation].

Unlabelled: We studied plasma levels of troponin I (cTnI), troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase MB (CKMBmass) and myoglobin (MB) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery with extracorporeal circulation and cardioplegia. In group 1 (25 patients without perioperative myocardial infarction) plasma levels of all markers studied were elevated after operation. In group 2 (24 patients with perioperative myocardial infarction) plasma concentrations of all markers exceeded several times levels observed in patients without myocardial infarction with maximal value for MB at 12 hours after operation; for cTnI and CKMBmass at 16 hours after surgery and for cTnT at 32 hours after the end of operation.

[Implants with aortic valve homografts in patients with critical left aortic stenosis].

This case study presents two patients with aortic stenosis and infective endocarditis (IE) who underwent homograft aortic valve replacement. The first patient is a 67 year old practicing surgeon. Twenty one years ago, he was admitted to our department for critical aortic stenosis, infective endocarditis (IE) and heart failure.

Giant cell myocarditis--a case report.

The authors described a case of giant cell myocarditis treated by heart transplantation.

[Risk of hypertension after heart transplantation in the follow-up period].

From October 1988 to March 2000, 58 patients underwent orthotopic heart transplantation (HTX). Data of 220 heart recipients with the follow up > or = 3 months after HTX were analyzed using the average values of blood pressure measured with the sphigmo-manometer. 65% of patients were diagnosed with the hypertension (HA).

Changes in myocardial perfusion after transmyocardial laser revascularization in patients with end-stage angina pectoris.

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effects of transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR) on myocardial perfusion. The value of (99m)Tc-MIBI scintigraphy in the detection of changes in perfusion of the lased and nonlased segments was assessed as well. In 15 patients before TMLR and then 3 and 6 months afterwards, MIBI scintigraphy and a stress test were carried out.

[Use of polymerase chain reaction in medical diagnosis].

Principles of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its modifications are discussed: reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), nested PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR (RFLP-PCR). Different methods of the PCR products detection used in routine diagnostics and research are presented: electrophoresis and chromatography techniques, immunoenzymatic methods, hybridisation and sequencing. Applications of PCR reaction in diagnostics of infectious diseases (viral and bacterial), genetic diseases and genotyping in transplantation are discussed and examples of commercial tests based on PCR reaction and another molecular biology methods used in fast, routine diagnostics are listed.

[The clinical course of end stage heart disease in 152 patients qualified for heart transplantation in a four year observation].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to analyse the clinical course of pts with end stage disease (ESD) in the period of four years. The study population consisted of 152 pts (132 males, 20 females) at the age of 17-66 years (mean = 48.8 year SD = 9.

The quality of life after aortic valve replacement with homografts or prosthetic valves.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The study aim was to evaluate the quality of life in patients after homograft or prosthetic aortic valve implantation. Evaluation was based on clinical and echocardiographic examinations, and on analysis of data from patient questionnaires.

Methods: Patients undergoing either homograft (HV, n = 220) or prosthetic (PV, n = 220) aortic valve replacement were investigated.

The incidence of malignancy in heart transplant recipients.

Objectives And Methods: 219 heart transplant recipients with survival over 3 months were retro- and prospectively analysed for the incidence of primary neoplasms. Patients received immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporine A, azathioprine, steroids) with a 4-5 days induction course of Rabbit Anti-Thymocyte Immunoglobulin (RATG) or monoclonal antibodies induction /OKT3/ in some cases. Anti-rejection treatment consisted of pulse doses of methyloprednisolon or RATG.

[Coronary bypass grafting after failed percutaneous angioplasty (PTCA)].

Between January 1991 and September 1997, in the Cardiovascular Surgery Department of the Institute of Cardiology of Jagiellonian University Medical School, 23 patients underwent emergency CABG due to acute myocardial ischaemia in result of failed PTCA. Over the same period of time invasive cardiologists performed 1883 PTCAs out of which 23 (1.2%) were emergency cardiosurgical procedures, and in 38 patients, stents were implanted in the damaged coronary arteries.

[Calcification of allogenic aortic heart valves].

The material used for the studies consisted of allogenic aortic valves (AAV) collected from 14 individuals. The necessity of AAV replacement arose from growing circulation insufficiency and AAV dysfunction. The aim the study was the determination of the elemental composition and crystallographic structure of the inorganic deposits in AAV.