Publications by authors named "Juraszek A"

Objectives: The ideal treatment for aneuryms of aberrant left subclavian arteries with Kommerell's diverticulum arising from right aortic arches remains open.

Methods: Between January 2015 and December 2020, 5 patients with aneurysms from a right-sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery and Kommerell's diverticulum underwent repair by using the frozen elephant trunk technique in 3 aortic centres. Patients' characteristics were retrospectively reviewed and the surgical procedure and outcomes are presented.

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We sought to examine current practices and changes in practice regarding initial counseling for families of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) given the evolution of options and outcomes over time. Counseling (Norwood with Blalock-Taussig-Thomas shunt (NW-BTT), NW with right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit (NW-RVPA), hybrid palliation, heart transplantation, or non-intervention/hospice (NI)) for patients with HLHS were queried via questionnaire of pediatric care professionals in 2021 and compared to identical questionnaire from 2011. Of 322 respondents in 2021 (39% female), 299 respondents were cardiologists (92.

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In 1987 Nikolay Volodos performed the world's first endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms. Endovascular technology has progressed significantly since then. There are now many thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) systems commercially available.

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New concepts regarding the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of aortic dissection have been recently developed. The aim of this paper is to describe the current state of knowledge on this subject and discuss any controversies surrounding it. Novel findings in the patho mechanisms of aortic dissection have evolved focusing on the indications for preventive surgery, biomarkers, and four-dimensional (4D)-flow magnetic resonance imaging.

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Background: Driveline infections in continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (cf-LVAD) remain the most common adverse event. This single-center retrospective study investigated the risk factors, prevalence and management of driveline infections.

Methods: Patients treated after cf-LVAD implantation from December 2014 to January 2020 were enrolled.

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Substantial progress has been made in the standardization of nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care. In 1936, Maude Abbott published her Atlas of Congenital Cardiac Disease, which was the first formal attempt to classify congenital heart disease. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) is now utilized worldwide and has most recently become the paediatric and congenital cardiac component of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

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Substantial progress has been made in the standardization of nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care. In 1936, Maude Abbott published her Atlas of Congenital Cardiac Disease, which was the first formal attempt to classify congenital heart disease. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code () is now utilized worldwide and has most recently become the paediatric and congenital cardiac component of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

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The COVID-19 pandemic challenges international and national healthcare systems. In the field of thoracic surgery, procedures may be deferred due to mandatory constraints of the access to diagnostics, staff and follow-up facilities. There is a lack of prospective data on the management of benign and malignant thoracic conditions in the pandemic.

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Article Synopsis
  • Elastic fiber fragmentation (EFF) is a significant feature of aortic valve disease (AVD) and is linked to abnormal blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) associated with inflammation.
  • The study analyzed aortic valve tissue from both early-onset (<40 years) and late-onset (≥40 years) AVD patients, using various techniques to assess regional anatomy and pathology.
  • Findings indicate that early-onset AVD shows signs of angiogenesis without inflammation or atherosclerosis, suggesting a relationship between EFF and the development of new blood vessels in this condition, which could lead to new treatment options.
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Background: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic presents challenges for surgeons of all disciplines, including cardiologists. The volume of cardiac surgery cases has to comply with the mandatory constraints of healthcare capacities. The treatment of Covid-19-positive patients must also be considered.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected urgent and elective thoracic and abdominal aortic surgeries between January-May 2020 and the same period in 2019.
  • Researchers found no significant change in the number of urgent procedures, but there was a notable 35% drop in elective surgeries during the pandemic, especially in countries like Italy.
  • Patients with acute conditions still sought treatment, indicating that while elective cases decreased, emergency cases were managed as per the guidelines, warranting further investigation into the long-term effects of delayed elective surgeries.
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Patients with severe heart failure (HF), who are not eligible for cardiac transplantation and receive optimal medical management, based mainly on the use of pharmacological treatment and devices such as resynchronization therapy (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator), achieve poor clinical outcomes and constitute a group with extremely poor prognosis. Currently, the technology used in the latest generation left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), such as the HeartMate 3, makes it possible to achieve patient survival at the level obtained by patients after heart transplantation, and they can be used not only in patients eligible for heart transplantation as a bridge to transplant, but also in those with significantly worse prognosis, who are ineligible for heart transplantation as destination therapy. The objective of this publication is to present recommendations from experts in cardiology and cardiac surgery, supported by clinical trial results, on the use of LVADs as a destination therapy in HF patients who are not eligible for cardiac transplantation.

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Background: MELD score and MELD score derivates are used to objectify and grade the risk of liver-related death in patients with liver cirrhosis. We recently proposed a new predictive model that combines serum creatinine levels and maximum liver function capacity (LiMAx®), namely the CreLiMAx risk score. In this validation study we have aimed to reproduce its diagnostic accuracy in patients with end-stage liver disease.

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Objectives: Our goal was to report our results of late surgical conversion after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: Variables analysed included baseline data, preinterventional anatomy, type of endovascular intervention, indications for conversion, operative technique, postoperative complications and follow-up survival rate.

Results: Between April 2011 and May 2018, 16 patients with late complications after EVAR underwent open surgical conversion at our institution.

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The definition and classification of ventricular septal defects have been fraught with controversy. The International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease is a group of international specialists in pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac morphology, and cardiac pathology that has met annually for the past 9 years in an effort to unify by consensus the divergent approaches to describe ventricular septal defects. These efforts have culminated in acceptance of the classification system by the World Health Organization into the 11th Iteration of the International Classification of Diseases.

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An internationally approved and globally used classification scheme for the diagnosis of CHD has long been sought. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC), which was produced and has been maintained by the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease (the International Nomenclature Society), is used widely, but has spawned many "short list" versions that differ in content depending on the user. Thus, efforts to have a uniform identification of patients with CHD using a single up-to-date and coordinated nomenclature system continue to be thwarted, even if a common nomenclature has been used as a basis for composing various "short lists".

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Aim: Evaluation the results in patients from the religious community of Jehovah's Witness (JW) undergoing open heart surgery at our institution.

Material And Methods: Between September 2011 and March 2015, 21 patients with a religious background of the JW church underwent open heart surgery at our institution performed by the same surgical team. Mean age was 68.

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Upon detection of foreign-body embolization to the central nervous system (CNS) following a specific invasive cardiovascular procedure in 1 autopsied child, we undertook a quality assurance analysis to determine whether other patients had had similar events. Autopsies of all infants and children with history of cardiac catheterization, heart surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass, and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation over a 5-year period at a single tertiary care institution were reviewed for light-microscopic evidence of foreign material. Of the 24 patients meeting clinical criteria (13 females, 11 males; ages 6 days to 20 years, median age 7.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) using the POLCAS system has been in use for 15 years but is increasingly controversial due to complications and the shift towards newer technologies.
  • In a study conducted in 2014, 12 patients experiencing severe cardiogenic shock received the POLCAS system, with a notable survival rate of 91.67% until either transplantation or explantation.
  • Complications following the therapy included cardiac tamponade, renal failure, ischaemic stroke, and infections, but no system malfunctions were reported, and 63.6% of patients survived long enough to be discharged.
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The Senning and Mustard baffles remain important techniques for the treatment of congenitally corrected transposition (cc-TGA), isolated ventricular inversion, and D-transposition of the great arteries with delayed presentation. We describe the treatment of an 8-month old infant with atrioventricular discordance, ventriculoarterial concordance, and dextrocardia with atrial situs inversus. A modified Senning procedure was performed through the "left-sided" atrium.

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A 81-year woman was admitted to our institution due to worsening chronic heart failure. The patient presented herself with severe aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve insufficiency. Due to estimated high operative risk a TAVI approach was chosen.

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Objectives: The aim of the study was to simulate the effect of different bicuspid aortic valve configurations on the dynamic pressure distribution in the ascending aorta.

Methods: Aortic specimens were harvested from adult domestic pigs. In Group 1, bicuspidalization was created by a running suture between the left and the right coronary leaflets (n = 6) and in Group 2 by a running suture between the left and the non-coronary leaflets (n = 6).

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