Letter to the Editor Ross procedure valve function, clinical outcomes and predictors after 25 years follow up.

The following letter presents an answer of a comment of our work titled "Ross procedure: valve function, clinical outcomes and predictors after 25 years' follow-up," recently published in your journal by Rangwala et al. As our colleagues point out, the Ross procedure has excellent survival rates but a significant risk of valve dysfunction and therefore reintervention at follow-up. Although the survival advantage with the Ross procedure appears to be consistent compared with mechanical valve substitutes, this benefit is not as clear compared with biological valve substitutes.

Ross procedure: valve function, clinical outcomes and predictors after 25 years' follow-up.

Objective: To describe long-term outcomes of the Ross procedure in a single center and retrospective series after 25 years follow-up.

Methods: From 1997-2019 we included all consecutive patients who underwent Ross procedure at our center. Clinical and echocardiographic evaluations were performed at least yearly.

Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for evaluating the efficacy of intracoronary injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells in the improvement of the ventricular function in patients with idiopathic dilated myocardiopathy: a study protocol.

Background: Cellular therapies have been increasingly applied to diverse human diseases. Intracoronary infusion of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMNC) has demonstrated to improve ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction. However, less information is available about the role of BMMNC therapy for the treatment of dilated myocardiopathies (DCs) of non-ischemic origin.

Prosthetic Mitral Surgical Valve in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Recipients: A Multicenter Analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prognosis and specific complications of patients with prosthetic mitral valves (PMVs) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Background: TAVR is performed relatively often in patients with PMVs, but specific risks are not well described.

Methods: A multicenter analysis was conducted, including patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR at 10 centers.

Five-year results from a prospective multicentre study of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation demonstrate sustained removal of significant pulmonary regurgitation, improved right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and improved quality of life.

Aims: Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is used to treat patients with dysfunctional pulmonary valve conduits. Short- and longer-term results from multiple trials have outlined haemodynamic improvements. Our aim was to report the long-term results, including quality of life, from a multicentre trial in Europe and Canada.

Restenosis After Everolimus-eluting Vascular Scaffolding. Angiographic and Optical Coherence Tomography Characterization.

Introduction And Objectives: Coronary restenosis after bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation is infrequent and little information is available on the main characteristics of these lesions. The aim of this study was to assess restenotic lesions by using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: We studied 330 patients with coronary artery disease who received 398 BVS to treat 380 lesions.

Pulmonary homograft stenosis in the Ross procedure: Incidence, clinical impact and predictors in long-term follow-up.

Background: The Ross procedure is used in the treatment of selected patients with aortic valve disease. Pulmonary graft stenosis can appear in the long-term follow-up after the Ross intervention, but the factors involved and its clinical implications are not fully known.

Aim: To describe the incidence, clinical impact and predictors of homograft stenosis and reintervention after the Ross procedure in a prospective series in a tertiary referral hospital.

Bifurcation lesions involved in the recanalization process of coronary chronic total occlusions: Incidence, treatment and clinical implications.

Background: The presence of a bifurcation (BL) in the context of a coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) represents an additional difficulty. This study analyzes the incidence of BLs in CTO recanalization, the treatment, predictors of bifurcation technical success and their clinical impact.

Methods And Results: BLs with a side branch (SB) ≥2.

Effects of Mitral Annulus Remodeling Following MitraClip Procedure on Reduction of Functional Mitral Regurgitation.

Introduction And Objectives: The percutaneous mitral valve repair procedure (MitraClip) appears to reduce mitral annulus diameter in patients with functional mitral regurgitation, but the relationship between this and regurgitation severity has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mitral annulus remodeling on the reduction of mitral regurgitation in patients with functional etiology.

Methods: The study included all patients with functional mitral regurgitation treated with MitraClip at our hospital until January 2015.

Structural Damage of Jailed Guidewire During the Treatment of Coronary Bifurcation Lesions: A Microscopic Randomized Trial.

Objectives: The study sought to compare the safety (resistance to damage) and efficacy (ability to cross the side branch) of polymer-coated and non-polymer-coated guidewires in the jailed wire technique used during the percutaneous treatment of bifurcation lesions.

Background: The jailed wire technique is a useful strategy in the treatment of bifurcation lesions by provisional stenting. However, these wires can be damaged or even be broken during their removal.

Predictors of Very Late Events After Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty in Patients With Mitral Stenosis.

Data on long-term outcomes of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) are still scarce. In addition, the persistence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) after PMV is a complication for which mechanisms and prognostic implications are unclear. Our aims were (1) to report the long-term outcomes of patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis treated with PMV; (2) to determine the risk factors for long-term poor outcomes; and (3) to analyze the prevalence and predictors of persistent PH.

Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold for the Treatment of Coronary Bifurcation Lesions: Immediate Results and 1-year Follow-up.

Introduction And Objectives: The treatment of coronary lesions with a bioresorbable vascular scaffold has been shown to be effective. However there is little information about its use in bifurcations. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety and efficacy of the bioresorbable scaffold in the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions.

Patency of coronary side branches covered by an everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold: clinical outcomes and computed tomography scan follow-up.

Aims: The behaviour of side branches (SBs) covered by a bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) is not well known. This study analysed the rate of side branch occlusion (SBO) immediately after BVS implantation, its clinical impact, predictors of SBO and the fate of such SBs at follow-up.

Methods And Results: We assessed 140 patients with 346 jeopardised SBs divided into three groups: small (<1 mm, n=181), intermediate (1-2 mm, n=102) and large (>2 mm, n=63).

Clinical features and changes in epidemiology of infective endocarditis on pacemaker devices over a 27-year period (1987-2013).

Aims: Use of cardiac pacing devices has grown in recent years. Our aim was to evaluate changes in epidemiology and clinical features of infective endocarditis (IE) involving pacemaker devices in a large series of IE over the last 27 years (1987-2013).

Methods And Results: From 1987 to December 2013, 413 consecutive IE cases were diagnosed in our hospital.

Stent Repair for Complex Coarctation of Aorta.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether several anatomic or evolving characteristics of the coarctation may create challenging conditions for treatment.

Background: Stent repair of coarctation of aorta is an alternative to surgical correction.

Methods: We analyzed our 21-year experience in the percutaneous treatment of complex coarctation of aorta.

Direct bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation: Feasibility and midterm results.

Objectives: To analyze the feasibility and safety of direct bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation without previous balloon dilation.

Background: Lesion preparation through predilation is recommended before BVS implantation. There is no information on the routine use of direct BVS implantation.

Fracture of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold After Side-Branch Balloon Dilation in Bifurcation Coronary Narrowings.

The possibility of strut fractures after bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) treatment is a new problem associated with the use of this novel technology. There is little in vivo information regarding the effects of lateral dilation on BVS. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of lateral balloon dilation after bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation in the treatment of bifurcation lesions.

Atrioventricular Conduction Changes After CoreValve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Introduction And Objectives: Conduction disturbances often occur after CoreValve transcatheter aortic valve implantation. The aim was to analyze which cardiac conduction changes occur in patients with aortic stenosis treated with this type of prosthesis.

Methods: A total of 181 patients with severe aortic stenosis treated with this prosthesis and studied by electrocardiography between April 2008 and December 2013 were selected.