Transapical beating heart mitral valve repair with the NeoChord system: early outcomes of a single-center experience.

Introduction: Trans-apical beating heart off-pump mitral valve (MV) repair is a novel surgical technique for treating mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by degenerative flail/prolapse (DLP).

Aim: To present early outcomes of a single-center experience with transapical beating heart mitral valve repair with the NeoChord system.

Material And Methods: Thirty-seven patients with severe symptomatic MR were treated with the NeoChord technique between September 2015 and December 2018 (78% men; mean age: 62.

Early echocardiographic results of transapical off-pump mitral valve repair with the NeoChord DS1000 device in patients with severe mitral regurgitation due to posterior leaflet prolapse: first experiences in Poland.

Introduction: Minimally invasive techniques of mitral valve (MV) repair have been increasingly used in recent years. Transapical implantation of artificial chordae on a beating heart under 2D/3D transesophageal echocardiographic guidance with the NeoChord DS1000 device is a new surgical treatment of degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR).

Aim: To evaluate early results of MV repair with the NeoChord DS1000 device in the first group of consecutive patients operated on in Poland.

Transapical off-pump mitral valve repair. First experience with the NeoChord system in Poland (report of two cases).

Background: Artificial chord implantation to repair a flail or prolapsing mitral valve leaflet requires open heart surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass.

Aim: Transapical off-pump artificial chordae implantation is a new surgical technique proposed to treat degenerative mitral valve regurgitation. The procedure is performed using the NeoChord DS1000 system (NeoChord, Inc.

Evaluation of brain lesions in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting using MRI with the emphasis on susceptibility-weighted imaging.

Introduction: Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are at risk of strokes and neurocognitive disorders.

The Aim Of The Study: The aim of the study was to assess the clinical utility of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) MRI in detection of new brain lesions in patients after CABG. We assessed the incidence and types of brain lesions and correlated the data with neurological examinations in groups of patients who underwent on-pump and off-pump CABG.

PPAR Gamma Expression Levels during Development of Heart Failure in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease after Coronary Artery Bypass-Grafting.

Genetic research has elucidated molecular mechanisms of heart failure (HF). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) seem to be important in etiology of HF. The aim of study was to find the correlation between PPARγ expression during development of HF in patients and coronary artery disease (CAD) after coronary artery bypass-grafting (CABG).

Coronary computed tomographic angiography for prediction of procedural and intermediate outcome of bypass grafting to left anterior descending artery occlusion with failed visualization on conventional angiography.

Conventional coronary angiography (CCA) has considerable limitations regarding visualization of distal vessel segments in chronic total occlusion. We assessed the ability of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to predict the success of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to the chronically occluded left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) incompletely visualized on CCA. Thirty symptomatic patients rejected for CABG on the basis of the CCA findings underwent preoperative CCTA before intended transmyocardial laser revascularization.

Coronary artery fistula in a 70 year-old woman with myocardial infarction.

Coronary artery fistulas are infrequent congenital malformations. We present the case of a patient with acute coronary syndrome and fistula between the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) and the pulmonary artery. The fistula was diagnosed during coronary angiography.

Computed tomography to predict surgical revascularization of a left anterior descending artery occlusion incompletely visualized by conventional angiography.

Purpose: Previous studies demonstrated that failure to visualize distal chronic total occlusion in conventional coronary angiography (CCA) does not preclude procedural success of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We assessed the utility of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in guiding CABG to the occluded left anterior descending artery (LAD) incompletely visualized by CCA.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four symptomatic patients rejected for revascularization of an occluded LAD on the basis of CCA underwent a preoperative CTA before intended transmyocardial laser revascularization.

Does contrast agent injection during trans-catheter aortic valve implantation negatively affect kidney function?

Background: Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has recently emerged as an alternative to conventional surgery in high-risk surgical patients with haemodynamically significant aortic valve stenosis. However, patients referred for TAVI are usually elderly individuals (> 80 years) who frequently also suffer from renal impairment. Trans-catheter valve therapies require extensive use of contrast injections with a risk of nephrotoxicity.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation using transfemoral/transsubclavian or transapical approach: 30-day follow-up of the initial 30 patients.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a new method for the treatment of aortic stenosis (AS).

Aim: To evaluate early results of TAVI using transfemoral/transsubclavian approach (TFA/TSA) or transapical approach (TAA) in patients with severe AS and high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement.

Methods: Between January 2009 and May 2010, 30 high-risk patients underwent TAVI.

Computed tomography angiography for visualisation of distal coronary arteries and selection for surgical revascularisation in a patient with acute myocardial infarction.

Patients with symptomatic multivessel coronary artery disease rejected for coronary revascularisation have adverse prognosis. We describe a 61 year-old male with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction who was considered unsuitable for coronary revascularisation based on the conventional angiography findings. Unlike conventional angiography, computed tomography angiography visualised distal coronary segments and the patient underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting.

Coronary computed tomography angiography without catheter angiography before bypass surgery in a patient with diffuse aortic atherosclerosis.

Patients with atheromatous plaques of the thoracic aorta undergoing coronary angiography are subjected to a substantial risk of catheter-related stroke or peripheral embolism. We describe a 49-year-old male patient with class III angina symptoms and extensive aortic plaque burden referred for coronary computed tomography angiography due to a high risk of catheterization-related cerebrovascular complications. On the basis of computed tomography angiography findings, the final decision on coronary artery bypass grafting with a modification of the surgical approach was made.

Giant metastatic intrapericardial tumor 20 years after nephrectomy.

We present a rare case of giant, metastatic renal cell carcinoma of the pericardium diagnosed 20 years after nephrectomy. An endovascular procedure was used to place coils preoperatively in the large collateral vessels supplying the tumor to achieve mass reduction and reduce intraoperative bleeding. The tumor was resected through a median sternotomy, and the patient's recovery was uneventful.

[POL-TAVI First--Polish report on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) of Edwards-Sapien prosthesis in the first 19 high risk patients with severe aortic stenosis and comorbidities].

Patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, who from November 2008 to March 2009 were treated with Edwards-Sapien transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) within the POL-TAVI First Polish Registry, were included in the analysis. Nineteen patients aged 78+/-4.8 years with high operation risk and Logistic EuroSCORE 25+/-7.

Carotid intima-media thickness as a marker of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the significance of ultrasound-measured carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in high-risk patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD), as an independent prognostic factor in determining the risk of all-cause death or future cardiovascular events.

Methods: The study included 297 consecutive patients (mean age +/- SD, 57 +/- 9.4 years) with diagnosed hypertension and CAD, referred for coronary angiography.

[Surgical treatment of interventricular septum rupture in an 87-year-old female with acute antero-lateral myocardial infarction and 97% risk according to the Euroscore scale].

Rupture of the interventricular septum is a serious complication of myocardial infraction (MI). It occurs in 1-3% of all MI cases, usually within 2 weeks after infraction. In 60% of the cases post-MI ventricular septal defects (VSD) are the result of completely occluded coronary artery supplying anterior wall of left ventricle and subsequent transmural MI.

[Acute aortic dissection in a patient with advanced coronary artery disease--a case report].

A case of a 58-year-old male with acute aortic dissection is presented. A few months earlier the patient underwent transmyocardial laser revascularisation and implantation of venous graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery due to three-vessel disease. Acute aortic dissection was successfully treated by surgery.

Primary transcatheter closure of postinfarction ventricular septal defects with the Amplatzer septal occluder- immediate results and up-to 5 years follow-up.

Aim: To report the periprocedural and long-term results of using the Amplatzer septal occluder for primary closure of post myocardial infarction ventricular septal defects.

Methods And Results: Transcatheter closure was considered in patients with significant left-to-right shunting and defect anatomy and location thought to be suitable for closure with such a device. From December 1999 until February 2005 eleven patients (9 males) aged 52-81 years (mean 67,9) underwent an attempted closure.

Changes in cardiac adrenergic nervous system after transmyocardial laser revascularisation assessed by I-123-MIBG SPECT. A preliminary report.

Background: Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), a noradrenaline analogue which may be labelled with I-123, has been used in the assessment of pre-synaptic activity of the cardiac adrenergic nervous system (Syst(adren)) in several diseases. The effects of transmyocardial laser revascularisation (TMLR) on Syst(adren) have not yet been established.

Aim: To examine whether TMLR-induced changes in Syst(adren) may be one of the mechanisms responsible for clinical improvement in patients undergoing this method of revascularisation.