Publications by authors named "F G Irace"

Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are typically implied in atherosclerosis pathogenesis and progression, especially in coronary artery disease (CAD). Our objective was to investigate the oxidative stress and inflammation burden directly associated with atherosclerotic plaque in patients with stable coronary disease undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Specifically, markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were compared in blood samples obtained from the atherosclerotic left anterior descending artery (LAD) and blood samples obtained from the healthy left internal thoracic artery (LITA), used as a bypass graft, within the same patient.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Annuloplasty should always accompany mitral valve repair in order to achieve proper annular remodeling and stabilization. Numerous types of annuloplasty rings-that differ from rigid to semi-rigid and flexible devices, from complete to partial, and from flat to saddle-shaped rings-are clinically available. A deeper understanding of mitral valve function, in conjunction with several recent studies, suggest it is advisable to prefer annuloplasty rings that mimic the physiological mitral annulus shape and three-dimensional (3D) dynamic changes in order to reduce haemodynamic stress on valve components and optimize leaflet coaptation, perhaps improving valve repair durability too.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The tricuspid valve, long neglected as a passive structure and often termed the "forgotten valve", has recently gained attention from the international medical and cardiological community due to the association of tricuspid regurgitation with an unfavorable prognosis. Isolated tricuspid regurgitation represents a relatively unknown and variable condition, closely linked to the shape and function of the right ventricle and the state of the pulmonary circulation. Currently, guidelines are not clear regarding the optimal treatment strategy, the process of patient selection, and the surgical or transcatheter procedural timing, nor for predicting patient outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Robotically assisted mitral valve (MV) surgery is the least invasive surgical approach to the MV. The aim of the present study is to report our experience with robotically assisted MV repair, trying to define how experience could impact on postoperative results. : This is a retrospective study on 144 patients who underwent robotic MV repair from November 2011 to March 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates optimal sizes of the annular and sinotubular junctions in aortic valve repair while keeping the cusp height constant through computer simulations.
  • A computational model created 125 virtual anatomies, finding that changes to the annular diameter had a more significant effect on valve performance than alterations in the sinotubular junction diameter.
  • Results indicate that an ideal valve configuration occurs when the sinotubular junction is 2-4 mm larger than the annulus, which leads to better coaptation height and lower stress on the valve cusps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF