Use of Impella Recover(R) LP 2.5 left ventricular assist device during high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions; clinical, haemodynamic and biochemical findings.

Aim: To investigate in terms of clinical, haemodynamic and biochemical profile the safety and efficacy of the Impella Recover(R) LP 2.5 left ventricular assist device during elective high risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HR-PCI).

Methods And Results: Ten out of twelve patients were initially enrolled to receive PCI supported by the Impella catheter; eight underwent pressure-volume (PV) loop analysis while one patient was monitored by intra-cardiac echocardiographic.

Stress and tissue Doppler echocardiographic evidence of effectiveness of myoblast transplantation in patients with ischaemic heart failure.

Background: There is experimental evidence that transplanting skeletal myoblasts (SM) into the post-infarction myocardial scar improves regional and global left ventricular (LV) function.

Aims: To evaluate short- and long-term regional and global LV functional effects of percutaneously transplanted SM in patients with ischaemic heart failure.

Methods And Results: Ten patients (mean age 60+/-10 years, 8 males) with dilated ischaemic cardiomyopathy underwent percutaneous injection of autologous myoblasts.

Intramyocardial injection of skeletal myoblasts: long-term follow-up with pressure-volume loops.

The human heart has a limited capacity for self-repair because, unlike most other cells, cardiomyocytes do not regenerate. Therefore, if a substantial number of myocytes is lost after a myocardial infarction, the performance of the heart may become severely limited, leading to a condition of heart failure. Recently, cell transplantation has emerged as a potential therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure.

Myocardial repair by percutaneous cell transplantation of autologous skeletal myoblast as a stand alone procedure in post myocardial infarction chronic heart failure patients.

Aims: In this first multicentre study we assessed the safety and efficacy of percutaneous transendocardial skeletal myoblast injection as a stand alone procedure in congestive heart failure patients.

Methods And Results: 15 patients (14 male), age 63+/-7 (Mean+/-SD), NYHA class 2-4 were injected with 216+/-119 cells (81+/-19% Desmin+) using a NOGA or fluoroscopy guided injection catheter. The cells were injected in the scarred regions 6+/-4 years after myocardial infarction as a stand alone procedure.

Residual angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an important diagnostic tool to guide decision-making in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory and for evaluation of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Especially the pressure pullback curve at maximal hyperaemia is convincing in demonstrating the exact location and severity of a coronary stenosis. This pressure pullback curve can also demonstrate the presence of diffuse disease.