Use of Computed Tomography to Distinguish Thrombus from Pannus on a Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve.

Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis was previously considered to be a relatively rare complication of surgical or transcatheter bioprosthetic valve replacement. Although echocardiograms can reliably show the characteristic findings of prosthetic valve stenosis, differentiating between thrombus formation and pannus overgrowth as the underlying cause of prosthetic valve dysfunction can be challenging. We present the case of a 75-year-old man who underwent transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in the presence of an elevated valvular gradient 2 years after his aortic valve had been surgically replaced with a bioprosthesis.

Association of cardiac implantable electronic devices with survival in bifascicular block and prolonged PR interval on electrocardiogram.

Purpose: Bifascicular block and prolonged PR interval on the electrocardiogram (ECG) have been associated with complete heart block and sudden cardiac death. We sought to determine if cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) improve survival in these patients.

Methods: We assessed survival in relation to CIED status among 636 consecutive patients with bifascicular block and prolonged PR interval on the ECG.

Effect of coronary artery bypass graft surgery on left ventricular systolic function.

Background: Changes in left ventricular (LV) systolic function in response to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have not been fully assessed.

Methods: Between January 2001 and December 2014, 2,838 consecutive patients underwent isolated CABG at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Of these, 375 had echocardiographic assessment of LV function before (within 6 months) and after (3 to 24 months) CABG and were included in this analysis.

Effect of Sleep-Disordered Breathing on Appropriate Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Therapy in Patients With Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction are at increased risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is recommended to prevent sudden cardiac death in some of these patients. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in this population and may impact arrhythmogenicity.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Who Had Cardiac Arrest After Cardiac Operations.

Background: Cardiac arrest after cardiac procedures has a case fatality rate of approximately 60%. However, the long-term risk of death and outcomes among survivors of postoperative cardiac arrest is less clear.

Methods: We examined the mortality and outcomes of 6,979 consecutive patients who underwent cardiac operations from 1991 to 2014 in the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Effect of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting on Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Men Eligible for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death is not routinely recommended within 90 days of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) because of the possibility of an improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) to>35% after revascularization. We sought to determine the incidence and predictors of EF improvement to >35% after isolated CABG in patients who had a preoperative EF ≤35%. We studied 375 patients who underwent CABG at a tertiary institution and had an echocardiogram preoperatively and postoperatively.