Simultaneous Aortic and Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Repaired Congenital Heart Disease.

Objectives:  Patients with congenital heart disease frequently require surgical or percutaneous interventional valve replacement after initial congenital heart defect (CHD) repair. In some of these patients, simultaneous replacement of both semilunar valves is necessary, resulting in increased procedural complexity, morbidity, and mortality. In this study, we analyze the outcomes of simultaneous aortic and pulmonary valve replacements following multiple surgical interventions for CHD.

Idiopathic Aneurysm of the Aortic Arch in an Infant.

Congenital aortic aneurysms are rare disorders, usually associated with genetic aortic syndromes. Here, we describe the case of an idiopathic aortic arch aneurysm which had been diagnosed prenatally by fetal echocardiography. The diagnosis was confirmed after birth in the neonatal period and successful surgical resection of the aneurysm was performed at the age of 3 months.

4D-flow cardiac magnetic resonance imaging after aortic root replacement with long-valved decellularized aortic homografts: comparison to valve-sparing aortic root replacement and healthy controls.

Objectives: Long-valved decellularized aortic homografts (DAH) may be used in young patients to treat aortic valve disease associated with aortic root dilatation, thereby eliminating the need for prosthetic material and anticoagulation.

Methods: Thirty-three male subjects in 3 equally sized cohorts were compared: patients following DAH implantation with a median age of 29 years [interquartile range (IQR) 27.5-37.

Pressure-compacted and spider silk-reinforced fibrin demonstrates sufficient biomechanical stability as cardiac patch in vitro.

Objective: The generation of bio-/hemocompatible cardiovascular patches with sufficient stability and regenerative potential remains an unmet goal. Thus, the aim of this study was the generation and biomechanical evaluation of a novel cardiovascular patch composed of pressure-compacted fibrin with embedded spider silk cocoons.

Methods: Fibrin-based patches were cast in a customized circular mold.

Pediatric urgent heart transplantation with age or weight mismatched donors: Reducing waiting time by enlarging donor criteria.

Background: Despite considerable progress in heart transplantation, pediatric waiting list mortality is still high, and often patients do not have enough time to wait. We hypothesized that extending the donor criteria regarding age and weight mismatch does not significantly affect the early follow-up.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed our pediatric heart transplantation patients operated on from 2014 to 2020 for high (>3.