Matrix Signaling Subsequent to a Myocardial Infarction: A Proteomic Profile of Tissue Factor Microparticles.

This study investigated the release and proteomic profile of tissue factor microparticles (TFMPs) prospectively (up to 6 months) following a myocardial infarction (MI) in a chronic porcine model to establish their utility in tracking cellular level activities that predict physiologic outcomes. Our animal groups (n = 6 to 8 each) consisted of control, noninfarcted (negative control); infarcted only (positive control); and infarcted animals treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and a β-blocker (BB) (metoprolol succinate). The authors found different protein profiles in TFMPs between the control, infarcted only group, and the CRT + BB treated group with predictive impact on the outward phenotype of pathological remodeling after an MI within and between groups.

Persufflation (gaseous oxygen perfusion) as a method of heart preservation.

Persufflation (PSF; gaseous oxygen perfusion) is an organ preservation technique with a potential for use in donor heart preservation. Improved heart preservation with PSF may improve outcomes by maintaining cardiac tissue quality in the setting of longer cold ischemia times and possibly increasing the number of donor hearts available for allotransplant. Published data suggests that PSF is able to extend the cold storage times for porcine hearts up to 14 hours without compromising viability and function, and has been shown to resuscitate porcine hearts following donation after cardiac death.

A femoral artery cannula that allows distal blood flow.

Objective: A femoral artery cannula is used for certain types of circulatory support but can cause ischemia, especially during prolonged perfusion. This study tests the function of a femoral cannula designed to allow proximal and distal blood flow.

Methods: Five pigs were used in the study.

Facilitated vascular anastomosis in coronary bypass surgery.

The goal of truly minimally invasive surgical revascularization with 1-day hospital stays is shared by surgeons, patients, and payors alike. However, accomplishing this will involve doing surgery through more limited-access incisions and working within closed spaces. Suture management in this setting is cumbersome, slow, and unreliable.

Limited-access surgical coronary artery revascularization.

The continued evolution of surgical revascularization has resulted in much less invasive alternatives for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. In particular, techniques and technologies have been developed to allow for the grafting of coronary arteries through limited access incisions without the circulatory support of cardiopulmonary bypass. The conduits are generally arterial rather than the venous alternatives used originally, and the harvesting of these conduits is performed through limited access incisions described in another article in this review.