Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation for treatment of severe aortic regurgitation in a patient with previous aortic valve-sparing operation according to David.

The regurgitation of the native aortic valve in patient with previous David operation may represent a clinical challenge because the morbidity and mortality risk of re-operation is not negligible. Here we describe the case of a patient suffering from late severe aortic regurgitation, many years after David operation, efficaciously treated with transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of such treatment in a patient with aortic regurgitation and previous David operation.

Redo After Failure of Aortic Homografts With a Rapid Deployment Valve.

Homograft implantation in the aortic position was a common approach for full root aortic surgical procedures in the early 2000s. Reintervention after degeneration of such homografts remains a challenge. We report two cases of successful implantation of the Edwards Intuity Elite rapid deployment valve into patients with degeneration of existing aortic homograft implants leading to severe aortic regurgitation.

Reoperation for aortic homograft failure using an Edwards Intuity valve.

We report the case of a 50-year old patient with deterioration of an aortic homograft, who successfully underwent aortic valve replacement using an Edwards Intuity sutureless bioprosthesis. The patient presented with rupture of the cusps and severe calcification of the aortic annulus of the homograft, which prevented us from using a standard bioprosthesis for the replacement.

Autologous pericardium annuloplasty: a "physiological" mitral valve repair.

Aim: Autologous pericardium annuloplasty (APA) is an alternative to prosthetic ring implantation for mitral valve (MV) repair, avoiding the use of foreign material and preserving the mitral annulus' physiological motion. However, data on durability are questionable. Therefore, we analyzed long-term outcomes of treating degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) with APA.

Preexisting cognitive status is associated with reduced behavioral functional capacity in patients 3 months after cardiac surgery: an extension study.

Objective: To examine whether preexisting cognitive status rather than short- and middle-term postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) may differentially account for behavioral functional capacity 3 months after cardiac surgery.

Method: Seventy-nine patients completed a psychological evaluation, including the Trail Making Test Part B, the memory with 10-s interference, the phonemic fluency and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) questionnaire for cognitive functions and behavioral functional capacity, respectively, before surgery, at discharge and at 3-month follow-up.

Results: Thirty-one (39%) and 22 (28%) patients showed POCD at discharge and at 3-month follow-up, respectively.